Medina County leaders are very concerned about a situation in which dozens of people may have been exposed to COVID-19 in Medina County recently. They are watching closely, and eagerly awaiting test results and impending investigations by DSHS in order to take action to stop further spread across Medina County if needed.
Medina County Emergency Manager Keith Lutz stated, “We know for a fact that the 44 year old man from Comal County, who died yesterday (Thursday, March 26), visited Brown Dodge in Devine recently.”
“We believe that close to forty people in Devine had possible exposure to the virus. And as we all know, those 40 people each go home to their families every day wherever they live in Medina County and surrounding areas. So the number of people who are affected by this virus can just multiply very fast,” Lutz adds.
“In less than approximately 12 days, this young man went from being healthy and fit to losing his life to this disease,” Lutz said.
“He told friends in Devine that he was doing okay on Sunday, and then come to find out, he passed away about 4 days later, which was yesterday,” Lutz said.
“One of the local people who came into contact with the Comal County man while he was here has developed symptoms and is being tested for COVID-19,” Lutz said. “He is very ill. Those test results take 3-5 to come in, and then it takes another couple of days for DSHS (Department of State Health Services) Region 8 to come in and do their investigation to find out who all these people had contact with.”
“DSHS has the authority to come in and say who needs to isolate,” Lutz said. “We are very concerned and are working day and night to get through this process and find a resolution to be able to do what we need to do.”
Owner Robert Brown stated,“The two employees who had direct contact with the customer are in self quarantine, and our health insurance provider has stepped up to help them through this situation.”
“We are doing everything we can to keep a safe environment, and hired a company that specializes in things like this to come in and sterilize everything. They completely sterilized the whole store,” Brown adds. “We are also allowing staff to stay home if they feel uncomfortable. I can’t close the store. I have an agreement with the manufacturer to stay open. We are working with a very minimal crew right now. The other stores are not affected.”
The COVID pandemic has presented elected officials, doctors, business owners, and everyone in our country with difficult questions and unprecedented situations that don’t have any easy answers.
Staying safe through COVID-19….
As one local doctor, Dr. Richard Neel, stated loud and clear weeks ago, the only way avoid exposure is to just stay home.
The long 14 days it takes before infected people start showing symptoms and the long investigation process make that message clearer and clearer every day.
Once Medina County leaders release confirmed data as it comes in, we will pass it on. Stay home and stay safe.
Our condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families affected by this horrible virus.
Lutz adds, “We need to not be complacent in thinking that this only affects the elderly or people who are already ill. Statistics might show that it’s more likely to affect that population, but time is telling us that no one is really safe from this virus.”
The first Medina County case was announced Tuesday, March 17. And earlier today, on Friday, March 27, Medina County officials informed the public of two new cases of COVID-19, bringing the Medina County total to 3 confirmed cases, while they are awaiting results on more tests.
See Medinacountytexas.org for updated information, names and contact info, and safeguards.
No matter where you live, this is a worldwide pandemic and no little town or county is immune