The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported one more case of COVID-19 in a Lincoln County resident and two more recoveries in the past week.
As of Monday, Aug. 10, the Maine CDC has reported 35 cases of the respiratory illness in Lincoln County since the outbreak began in mid-March — three of which remain active. There have been 30 confirmed cases and five probable cases.
The newest confirmed case was reported Friday, Aug. 7.
The probable category includes people who are close contacts of someone with a confirmed case and become symptomatic or someone who has had a confirmed antibody test and either had close contact with someone with a confirmed case or became symptomatic.
The case rate for Lincoln County is 10.2 per 10,000 people. Three residents have been hospitalized at some point in their illness, one of whom has died.
There have been 31 recoveries, leaving the three active cases, a number calculated by subtracting recoveries and deaths from the confirmed and probable case total.
Community transmission of the virus has not been detected in Lincoln County, according to the Maine CDC.
According to John Martins, spokesperson for LincolnHealth, between Aug. 3 and Aug. 9, the hospital conducted 282 COVID-19 tests with four positive results.
Martins said one of the positive results involved an out-of-state resident and the rest involved Lincoln County residents.
In reference to the apparent discrepancy between the four positive results at LincolnHealth and the single case the CDC reported for the same period, CDC spokesperson Robert Long said a positive test result does not necessarily equal a case.
“An individual who tests positive multiple times during the course of treatment counts as a single case,” Long said in an email.
Long said he could not give residency information connected to the positive tests at LincolnHealth because of patient privacy laws.
Since July 13, LincolnHealth has conducted 1,065 tests with seven positives.
Of the 282 tests performed in the past week, 106 were clinical, for people exhibiting symptoms; 44 were of patients at either admission or discharge from the hospital; and 132 were preoperative or of people with known exposure to COVID-19 who did not exhibit symptoms.
Martins said by email that there has been a “marginal” increase in calls to the LincolnHealth Respiratory Care Clinic in the past week.
Testing and hospital policy remains unchanged, but Martins said he is hopeful LincolnHealth will be able to expand testing soon.
If someone thinks their symptoms warrant a visit to the urgent care center on the St. Andrews Campus in Boothbay Harbor or the emergency department at the Miles Campus in Damariscotta, they can receive a test there after first calling ahead and registering as a patient.
For people with an established relationship with MaineHealth or LincolnHealth, testing may be available without symptoms if the individual has had known exposure or is at elevated risk of exposure.
LincolnHealth defines known exposure as being within 6 feet of someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 for at least 30 minutes.
Those at an elevated risk of exposure include: people returning from states that have a higher COVID-19 prevalence than Maine; anyone who has attended a large gathering; employees of businesses who have direct, daily contact with members of the public; essential health care workers and first responders; and residents and staff of group living facilities, such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
Martins said arrangements for testing can be made by calling one of LincolnHealth’s primary care offices. If a test is deemed necessary, the individual will be referred to a testing location.
State COVID-19 numbers
The Maine CDC has reported 4,050 COVID-19 cases in Maine as of Monday, Aug. 10, an increase of 75 from the week before. Of those cases, 406 are probable.
There have been 394 hospitalizations and 3,560 people have recovered. There have been 126 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine. The statewide case rate is 30.3 per 10,000 people.
The number of active cases, 364, is a decrease of 63 from one week before.
The Maine CDC also lists the results of antibody tests.
Since May 20, 441 people have tested positive for antibodies and there have been 8,663 negative results in Maine. Thirteen tests have been indeterminate.
