By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The latest Barton County COVID-19 update released at 10 a.m. Monday, June 8 show seven active positive cases and 47 active quarantine cases.
Interim Health Director Karen Winkelman notified the Barton County Commissioners Monday that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment no longer calls the county when new cases are identified, causing occasional discrepancies on the county’s website compared to KDHE.
Winkelman also mentioned KDHE is
reporting probable and confirmed cases as one number.
"Probable is where an individual could live in a household with a confirmed case and they have all the signs and symptoms of a confirmed case, but they were not tested," said Winkelman. "That number will be reflected in our numbers of positive cases."
If a probable subject decides to get tested and the results come back negative,
the subject is subtracted from the positive total.
In regarding coronavirus deaths, Winkelman noted individuals may have had coexisting
morbidities, but if COVID-19 was a contributing factor, the authorizing
physician is the person that makes the determination for cause of death.
"We can hear things in the community saying we know it is COVID related or they don't know what they are talking about," said Winkelman. "We do not release information that we come to conclusion with. We rely heavily on KDHE and the attending physician."
Winkelman says her department is waiting for communication from an attending
physician on a death that tested positive for coronavirus in the past.