SAN LUIS OBISPO — The County of San Luis Obispo reported Tuesday that a seventh SLO County resident has died due to COVID-19.
The individual was in their 80s and lived at a North County nursing home with a COVID-19 outbreak. The resident had multiple chronic health conditions and was not hospitalized.
“We have lost another member of our community to this disease and I offer our sincere condolences to the family and all those who are touched by this loss,” said County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein. “We are seeing an uptick in cases in congregate settings such as skilled nursing facilities in SLO County and we need everyone to do their part to help slow the spread of this disease.”
Medical research shows that while COVID-19 has flu-like symptoms, it is more contagious than the flu among most populations and age groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 can quickly and easily spread to a lot of people and result in continuous spreading among people as time progresses. Older adults, individuals with health conditions, and people living in congregate settings (including residential care facilities) are at higher risk from COVID-19. While risk increases with age among adults, younger adults and those without chronic health conditions have also faced serious illness and hospitalization.
All residents, regardless of risk factors, should take precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19 — in part because cases travel through the community and in some cases reach the most vulnerable residents. Every individual’s actions can either limit or contribute to this spread. The CDC also indicates that it’s possible for people to spread the virus for about two days before experiencing signs or symptoms and remain contagious for at least 10 days after signs or symptoms first appeared.
“Together we can slow the spread of COVID-19 and break the chain of transmission,” Dr. Borenstein said. “Please avoid social and multi-family gatherings, maintain six feet of distance when leaving the house, and wear a face covering in public as recommended.”
As of today, 1369 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in SLO County; 903 have recovered; 448 are currently recovering at home and 10 are currently hospitalized, with four in the ICU.
