Smith tells of personal experience with virus, recovery
Back in action from a few weeks under the weather, Hamilton County Emergency Manager Kirt Smith was on Monday’s Hamilton County Board of Commissioners meeting agenda to share a much anticipated update on the status of the coronavirus in Hamilton County.
Alongside his general update, Smith also told a more personal narrative of his recent experience with the virus.
“I had unfortunately come down with COVID a few weeks ago, traced back to a chance encounter at work,” he began. “It was one of those things -- I don’t believe in the 15 minutes (exposure window) because it was way less than that -- contact without a mask at a six-foot distance.”
That person tested positive, he added, and he had evidently gotten it from them.
“And then I gave it to my wife, of course,” Smith explained. “Unfortunately my daughter and one of her friends came home for the first time since college started that Friday night and luckily they didn’t get it, but we kept our distance anyway.”
The first weekend of sickness was “really rough,” he voiced.
“I was really sick, a high temperature,” he continued. “Then I kind of felt better. I was feeling pretty good. Did a couple of Zoom meetings that early part of that week from home and after that I crashed again -- high fever and every other symptom. I didn’t lose taste or smell, but I had every other symptom.”
The next week his wife dragged him to the doctor and he spent some time in the emergency room.
“So I was pretty sick,” Smith said. “It’s something I do not want again, sicker than I have ever been with anything. My wife on the other hand, had a cough. So she did really good with it. But that just kind of tells you the difference of how people in my same household acted different. I got really sick and she didn’t.”
Smith added that he was still pretty weak and tired, but was back to work healthy.
“It’s unfortunate, we’re very protective with how we walk around with masks and stuff,” he said. “But it just shows that it can happen at any time, anywhere, to anybody.”
Moving to the numbers across the county, Smith noted that as the commissioners probably knew the totals had gone up “quite a bit.”
To clarify, he added, the numbers he would be sharing in the meeting were from last week and would not include those he would be receiving later in the day after the weekly meeting with the CDHD. These meetings -- which had been paused for two weeks during a lull in the spread -- are now back in session.
“As of the 14th, we had 2,612 total cases in that Central District area, with 61 deaths,” Smith reported. “We had 2,065 recoveries and we had 350 new cases in the last 14 days. That gives a 19 percent positivity rate for the Central District. So the (COVID) risk dial last week was at 2.81, which is still in the orange -- 3 is where the red starts, below 2 is the yellow and so on. So that has gone up quite a bit in the last two weeks.”
As of last week there were 203 total cases in Hamilton County, he added, as well as 13 deaths. In that last two weeks there were 62 new cases and hosted a 22 percent positivity rate.
“Before that we were at 11 percent,” he said. “So this is just to kind of show you how are numbers are going up.”
Smith added that 173 tests were done in the county last week, that he could see. Broken down on the CDHD dashboard, it by zip code.
“We had 30 new cases in the last 14 days in Aurora,” he reported. “Nine in Giltner, 13 in Hampton, zero in Hordville, three in Marquette and six in Phillips. And they have zero in Stockham, so I assume in the zip code is where they’re confused and they don’t break it down into Stockham.”
CDHD: Tuesday morning Smith provided updated numbers. They are as follows: 2,775 total cases; 61 deaths; 2,136 recoveries; 432 new cases in the last 14 days; 18,074 total tested. The risk dial is currently at 2.9, in the orange, with a 22 percent positivity rate.
Hamilton County: 225 total cases; 13 deaths; 66 new cases in last 14 days; 14 percent positivity rate; 207 tests last week.
New health directive
Smith also briefly updated the commissioners on the new Directed Health Measures (DHM) put in place by the Governor that goes into effect this Wednesday.
Part of that has to do with hospital staffing and ICU bed capacity.
“So the hospitals are kind of under some different requirements again,” he said. “Bars and restaurants -- people have to remain seated -- so there can’t be a crowd where people are standing up. They are still at 100 percent of rated occupancy, but they have to be seated. Then there are maximum eight (people) to a group, eight per table, eight per group.”
Indoor gatherings have gone back to 50 percent rated capacity, he added, not to exceed 10,000 people, and outdoor gatherings remain at 100 percent (not to exceed 10,000).
An event expecting more than 500 people must have a plan approved through the CDHD.
“Weddings and funerals are the eight to a table maximum again,” he said. “Still at 100 percent occupancy. Then they’re limiting the dances and social events to your group that you’re with.”
From what he has heard at meetings, Smith added, most of these new positive cases are coming from smaller event exposures.
“Not necessarily your big sponsored events from school,” he said. “Schools seem to be doing really well, it’s when people go outside of those types of things. Because maybe at work or at school you’re following the rules, you’re wearing a mask.”
In other items, the board:
* approved the conditional use of the bandstand for Come Home to Christmas events, Nov. 28, and to decorate for the season;
* approved standardized request for wage sheet;
* signed vendors and highway payroll;
* approved the Assessor and clerk of the District Court’s September 2020 fee sheets.