Nearly 40 Green County Residents Have Died From The Coronavirus So Far This Month

From the City of Springfield:

October 14, 2020

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is saddened to announce the death of one Greene County resident from COVID-19.

Our community lost a man in his 70s.

The Health Department extends our condolences to everyone impacted by this loss.

Thirty-nine deaths have been reported by the Health Department in October. A total of 116 Greene County residents have died from COVID-19.

Nobody is immune to COVID-19—we are all vulnerable to it, but we know some will suffer much more severe outcomes. We share a collective responsibility to fight this disease that will require patience, diligence and sacrifice.

For more information on the preventative measures we can all take to help slow the spread of COVID-19, click here.

Who is at risk

Like so many of us, these individuals had an underlying health condition that put them or may have put them at increased risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19.

Having an underlying health condition should not be interpreted as an individual being sick, feeble or infirm.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified two groups at higher risk for severe health outcomes from COVID-19: older adults and people with underlying health conditions.

Underlying health conditions can impact anyone at any age and include common diagnoses that many Greene County residents live with. For instance:

• 16% of Greene County residents are 65 or older,
• 33% are considered obese and
• 11% have asthma

Other health conditions identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as include, but are not limited to:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Lung disease
• Obesity
• Serious heart conditions
• Diabetes
• Pregnancy

A full list of conditions can be viewed on the CDC’s website.

This individual was not associated with long-term care.

Inquiries from the public can be made by contacting the Health Department’s call center at (417) 874-1211 or by email at coronavirus@springfieldmo.gov.

This press release was produced by the City of Springfield. The views expressed here are the author’s own.