Telegraph photo by ADAM URQUHART Epidemiologist at the city’s Division of Public Health and Community Services Angela Consentino, Health Promotion and Communication Specialist Nicole Viau and Chief Public Health Nurse wit the division Kim Bernard monitor a map of global cases of COVID-19 available through Johns Hopkins University Thursday. That map can be found online at https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

NASHUA – Local health officials are continuing to monitor the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after a new presumptive positive case was reported in Rockingham County Thursday, bringing the state up to six total cases.

“We use a reproductive number to determine infectivity,” Epidemiologist at the city’s Division of Public Health and Community Services Angela Consentino said. “So on average a person with COVID-19 will infect 2.5 individuals, but how long a person is contagious is on a case by case basis.”

Consentino said this most recent case is travel related. Consentino also said of the six cases reported as of Thursday afternoon, three are travel related and three are direct contact cases. Additionally, the reported cases in the state are split with half of them in Grafton County and half in Rockingham County. At this time, New Hampshire still does not have community wide transmission.

“It’s a rapidly evolving situation and the guidelines are changing every day,” Consentino said. “So it’s really hard to keep up on it and keep up on our messaging, but we’re doing the best that we can. We’re following the state guidelines, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines and we’re monitoring the situation closely, but things will change as we move forward.”

According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, there are two confirmed cases, four presumptive positive cases awaiting CDC confirmation and 275 people being monitored in New Hampshire for COVID-19 as of Thursday. There have been 94 people that have tested negative, and there are 21 tests pending in the public health lab.

While the number of people getting tested for COVID-19 continues to rise, Consentino said that right now, the guidelines have loosened up a bit. Consentino said now the recommendation is that to be tested an individual will have to either have been in direct contact of a positive COVID-19 case; traveled to China, South Korea, Iran or Italy; or see their provider for their recommendation to be tested. Regardless, a provider’s recommendation is needed.

The test itself is two parts, including a throat swab as well as a nasal swab. Chief Public Health Nurse wit the division Kim Bernard said depending on what time the test is done, results usually come back within one to two days. Bernard also said that the state has enough tests available currently for those that are referred.

As for the incubation time, which is the time for the infection to show symptoms, it can take between zero and 14 days, with officials finding that the median time for developing symptoms occurring between five and six days. When people are quarantined for 14 days, they are on the higher end of that time frame as a precautionary measure to make sure they have not gotten any symptoms.

“I think if you don’t develop symptoms within that incubation period then you would not be considered to be a risk to others, but if you do develop symptoms during that incubation period and you test positive for COVID-19, then you would be asked to isolate until further notified by a public health professional,” Consetino said.

As far as resolving the issue once an individual has COVID-19 goes, it would be a case by case basis.

“It would depend on risk factors that the patient currently has,” Bernard said.

For instance, if a patient had chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for example, they might experience a longer period of being ill than someone that was healthier. Bernard said sometimes age can also play a factor, such as people who are older that may have weakened immune systems, and same with kids as well.

“Right now, we’re estimating about 1.7 percent for a case fatality rate, and the fatality rate is higher in those who are older and are higher risk groups, so people with comorbidities and people that are elderly,” Consetino said.

Bernard said if an individual was deemed to need a test, it would go through the health care provider, although right now, officials are working on determining where testing locations will be locally. Additionally, health care professionals at the division are asking people to call before showing up to see their health care provider.

Public health officials in Nashua are also working on potentially offering a test site in the city. While this idea is not definite, it could happen, but as far as where that location may be, officials did not have information. Bernard said officials are trying to come up with a plan to take some of the burden off of the emergency departments in the area.

“We’re actively working on a plan currently,” Bernard said.

“We’re encouraging people to take preventive measures – practice good hygiene, same thing we’ve been pushing, wash your hands, cover your cough, cover your sneeze and just stay home if you’re sick,” Health Promotion and Communication Specialist Nicole Viau said.

As of late afternoon Thursday, Viau said the CDC has changed their travel advisory. In an email, Viau stated, “CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China, Iran, and most of Europe and entry of foreign nationals from these destinations has been suspended. CDC also recommends travelers to avoid all nonessential travel to South Korea, but currently there are no restrictions on entry to the US from South Korea. CDC recommends that older adults or those who have chronic medical conditions consider postponing all domestic and international travel.”

Today at 4 p.m. at the Nashua Public library the division is hosting a community-wide informational session to discuss the latest details around COVID-19. This public conversation is for anyone who is interested in learning more about the science of the disease, making informed decisions for themselves and their family, local and state response efforts and community resources. People will also be able to ask questions at this event.

More information on COVID-19 is available on the city’s website at, https://www.nashuanh.gov/1332/COVID-19.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.

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