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. 3, the Maine CDC has reported 34 cases of the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus since the outbreak began in mid-March, only four of which remain active. There have been 28 confirmed cases and six probable cases.
The newest confirmed case was reported Friday, July 31.
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 9.9 per 10,000 people. Three residents have been hospitalized at some point in their illness, one of whom has died.
There have been 29 recoveries, leaving the four 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 July 27 and Aug. 2, the hospital conducted 312 COVID-19 tests with no positives.
Of the 312 tests, 126 were clinical, for people exhibiting symptoms; 49 were of patients at either admission or discharge from the hospital; and 136 were preoperative or of people with known exposure to COVID-19 who did not exhibit symptoms.
LincolnHealth also conducted one serology, or antibody, test, which was negative. Tests for antibodies are intended to detect whether someone has had COVID-19 and recovered from it. It is not yet known if testing positive for coronavirus antibodies confers immunity from COVID-19.
The hospital has conducted 2,475 COVID-19 tests since the beginning of the outbreak in mid-March. There have been a total of 16 positive tests, for a 0.65% positivity rate.
One of the positive tests was for an out-of-state resident, according to Martins. No further information was immediately available.
Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah said on Tuesday, Aug. 4 that Maine’s seven-day positivity rate had reached a new low of 0.87%, a fraction of the national average, which is about 8%.
Martins said calls to the LincolnHealth Respiratory Care Clinic have remained level. However, the clinic is averaging 36 tests per day, up from 25 last week.
Martins said LincolnHealth’s testing policy has not changed, but that MaineHealth, LincolnHealth’s parent organization, is continuing to look at ways to offer “passport testing” for out-of-state visitors.
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 3,975 COVID-19 cases in Maine as of Monday, Aug. 3, an increase of 137 from the week before. Of those cases, 427 are probable.
There have been 388 hospitalizations and 3,424 people have recovered. There have been 124 deaths so far from COVID-19 in Maine. The statewide case rate is 29.7 per 10,000 people.
The number of active cases, 427, is an increase of 29 from one week before.
The Maine CDC also lists the results of antibody tests.
Since May 20, 424 people have tested positive for antibodies and there have been 8,494 negative results in Maine. Twelve tests were indeterminate.
(Correction: An earlier version of this article online and on the front page of the Aug. 6 print edition incorrectly reported the state COVID-19 numbers as 131 deaths and 428 cases as of July 27. The numbers were 124 deaths and 427 active cases, and the data was current as of Aug. 3. The Lincoln County News regrets the error.)
