CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID-19 IN CITY OF BRENHAM EMPLOYEE; SUSPECTED CAUSE COMMUNITY SPREAD
Update @ 10:53 a.m.: The first case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Washington County.
The Washington County Office of Emergency Management and Dr. William Loesch, Washington County’s health authority, announced this (Wednesday) morning the first case confirmed by testing at Baylor Scott and White in Brenham. The patient is a male in his 40s.
Brenham City Manager James Fisher confirmed the positive case to be in a City of Brenham employee. He said all appropriate measures with the employee and the employee’s department are being taken.
A release this morning from the Washington County Office of Emergency Management said, with current information, the patient is suspected to have contracted the virus from community spread. Investigation into the source is ongoing, and more details will be released when available.
Details of the patient are being held for privacy reasons, but emergency management officials say the patient is expected to be sent home for quarantine and isolation, and all appropriate measures to reduce the spread of the virus are underway. Family members and close contacts of the patient have been identified, and are also in self-quarantine at this time.
Emergency management officials say the City of Brenham and Washington County are fully aware of the evolving situation, and are in close communication with local health officials. They say this is an expected course of events, and as more testing is performed, more positives are expected.
Symptoms of the virus are variable, with patients potentially showing minor or no symptoms early in the course of infection. Anyone with a fever, cough, or general fatigue is encouraged to self-isolate from others to prevent the spread of the disease.
While patients over 65 and those with comorbid issues such as diabetes, immune-compromised systems, lung disease, and smoking history are at much higher risk of death and severe disease due to the virus, all patients have a risk to progress to severe symptoms and/or require hospitalization. However, most that contract the virus will have a mild to moderate course and not be seriously ill.
Officials reiterate the importance of exercising social distancing and obeying current containment measures, which they say are even more important now that the virus is known to be in the community. They also encourage continued good hygiene and the disinfecting of surfaces in order to stop the spread of the virus.
City and county officials say this will be the only announcement regarding the case at this time.
Original Story @ 10:08 a.m.: The first case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Washington County.
Brenham City Manager James Fisher this (Wednesday) morning confirmed a City of Brenham employee has tested positive for the coronavirus. He said all appropriate measures with the employee and the employee’s department are being taken.
Fisher added that the county has been made fully aware of this, and that any further information on the case will come directly from medical personnel with the county.
Emergency Management Coordinator Bryan Ruemke said more information will be put out shortly in a news release.
It is a good thing that the wagon train pioneers were conservative patriots of the good old days who cared for one another.
A Crisis of any kind can either bring out the best in a person or the worse, The first thing some people did when they heard of the Crvid-19 crisis was rush to the stores and hoard all the paper goods, hand sanitizer, and essential food such as soup, meat ETC, instead of purchasing in moderation they had no concern for others needs, Just their own. While others looked to donate their time to help others in need by helping the elderly with their needs. I see lots of post on here that say “Shut Brenham Down” Why don’t you just stay home? Why do you need someone else to tell you what to do? I see post wanting to know who the city employee is ? Have you not heard of the HIPPA Laws? that protect peoples privacy? I see calls for people to not vote for our current Council. What exactly is it that you think they can do for you that you cant do for yourself right now, This is a “Fluid” situation we have never gone through this before we all are learning as we go. The rules change from day to day and the overload of information can cause confusion at times, I see post about the ” People taking pictures in bluebonnets” I for one have seen little to no people in Bluebonnets . Stop criticizing every one else and ask yourself “What Can I do to protect myself while still being mindful of others needs ” ? we will get through this but this is not the time to Panic or criticize. If you know of a better way something can be done, Great call the city , Call your councilmen and suggest it,
It’s very misleading and dangerous that Brenham looks to be operating like nothing is going on outside its city limits. Other than HEB and Walmart having fewer groceries, restaurants offering curbside service, nothing looks different. You go into HEB and there are ten people per aisle. At this point it’s negligent to NOT put more steps into action. You can’t see this virus. It’s a matter of time before Brenham residents, surrounding area residents start getting sick. Who is in denial?
Has anybody watched or can anybody remember the scene from the movie Patch Adams with Robin Williams (1998)? I’m referring to the one with Patch Adams (Robin Williams), and Arthur Mendelson (Harold Gould). I suggest you all give yourself 3 minutes, go to YouTube and type in “4 fingers, patch Adams scene”.
I’ll give a brief explanation of the scene. Patch walks into the room and asks Arthur “what’s the answer to the 4 fingers question”. Arthur berates him for being stupid and says your one of those who wants to know all the answers. Patch then fixes Arthur’s leaking coffee cup that is sitting on his papers of work sitting on his desk. This intrigues Arthur so he turns his chair and says okay.
He holds up four fingers in front of patch and says “how many fingers do you see?” Patch says, “there are 4 fingers Arthur”. Arthur says, “no, no, no…your focusing on the problem, look beyond the problem son.” Patch continues to look at the fingers and Arthur slaps his hand and says “look at me, your looking at the problem, look beyond the problem, to the solution…look at me”. Patch finally does what Arthur says, and then he smiles. Because now he sees 8 fingers, his eyes showed double vision when he looked beyond the problem and focused on the solution. That is what most of us do because of our human nature. To focus on the problem and not the solution. Arthur then says “YES, YES, now you get it, the answer is in the solution, not the problem”! Arthur proceeds to tell him “most of us don’t see the solution because we are focused on the problem…whether that be out of fear, conformity, or plain laziness”!
Step back brothers and sisters, readjust our vision and focus on the solution!
We just may grow stronger out of this great big problem….IF we do that very thing.
Why have people that might have been exposed to the case not been notified ???
By an official or the Director of Health??
Are you not concerned for others that have probably been exposed? And so on and so on more are exposed. REALLY!!!!!
Wake up Leaders of the Community!!!
I personally know of other people that worked with or in the same department as the individual that tested positive. They are all on 14 day quarantine.
If you have not been contacted, there is no reason to believe that you came into direct contact with the individual.
Calm down.
I surely hope our local government does not overreact like the larger liberal ones are and start mandatory shutdowns of private businesses.
This has become an unconstitutional power grab of county and city governments picking the winners and losers in a free enterprise market.
What’s next, work permits? The ban of firearms for public health reasons?
This will not stand…
John Deans
Constitutional Patriot
What does the Constitution say about protecting a Brenham community where over 30% of the population is 55 and older? The exact demographic that continues to see the biggest losses of life nationwide? I am pretty sure Madison makes no mention of how to do this in his famed “The Federalist Papers.” We cannot appeal to political philosophy, while folks are getting sick and dying. Common sense should prevail.
Oh and I guess Tarrant County leaders, with its Republican County Judge (Glen Whitley) and Betsy Price, the Republican Fort Worth mayor, are all under the spell of a liberal hype machine gone wild? Give me a break.
Would you have that same “don’t tread on me” sensibility if, let’s say, our country was under attack by a certain ethnic group? Or, if riots overtook the community? Would you hold that same Constitution so close to your heart if the police took command and control of Brenham to protect us from (gulp) thugs and criminals?
We can have a debate about federalism or about the (de)merits of free markets later, but now is not the time. Let’s keep people safe. Let’s preserve life. Let’s flatten the curve. Let’s defeat this invisible enemy.
YOu lost me when you typed “liberal” in your remark. WHAT possible need is there for that particular adjective here? Your fear and loathing about all things with which you do not agree will not protect you from this “apolitical” virus.
I’m not sure who you are responding to, but I used the word “liberal” in the context of commenter John Deans using it to describe “larger liberal” cities that are, supposedly, “overreacting” to the pandemic.
My point was this: leaders of both parties, conservative and liberal, leaders of large and small cities, have responded responsibly and without allegiance to political orthodoxy.
No business owner is going to voluntarily chose to loose money to protect their employees. Everyone who works in government offices, schools and banks have taken steps to protect themselves but for some reason they won’t protect us. We are the ones who elect them and pay their salaries but it seems they are more concerned with taking care of the folks who fill their political war chests.
Early testing (when the sample sizes were small) showed a 3-4% death rate and that was likely testing the sickest and most vulnerable patients. Now that testing is more wide spread, the death rates are being reported at 0.7% just a week later. That means 99.3% of people ARE NOT DYING because of this according to a data set that isn’t even fully cleaned up yet. Common flu death rate is 0.1%. Once testing volumes increase (which they are) to include ALL the population and not just the sickest and people with pre-existing conditions the death rates are likely to get down to the rates of the common flu and we will have realized the insanity of all of this. Stop with the panic button pushing until there is data out there to justify it. Understand statistical data is no good if sample sizes are small and the data collection methods are skewed (in this case initially due to testing availability). It’s easy to follow the crowd’s opinions, but take a step back and look at the data trend here for goodness sakes.
“Early testing (when the sample sizes were small) showed a 3-4% death rate and that was likely testing the sickest and most vulnerable patients. Now that testing is more wide spread, the death rates are being reported at 0.7% just a week later. That means 99.3% of people ARE NOT DYING because of this according to a data set that isn’t even fully cleaned up yet.”
Updated Mar 25 at 11:12 PM local
Global Confirmed: 471,036
Global Deaths: 21,284
that’s 4.5%
“Common flu death rate is 0.1%. Once testing volumes increase (which they are) to include ALL the population and not just the sickest and people with pre-existing conditions the death rates are likely to get down to the rates of the common flu and we will have realized the insanity of all of this.”
until a vaccine is developed, and effective treatments, the rates may remain significantly higher than the flu. Right now I believe we’re stalling for time as best we can, in order to protect the most vulnerable. However, I’m not a medical professional…it just seems like a reasonable conclusion.
“Stop with the panic button pushing until there is data out there to justify it. Understand statistical data is no good if sample sizes are small and the data collection methods are skewed (in this case initially due to testing availability). It’s easy to follow the crowd’s opinions, but take a step back and look at the data trend here for goodness sakes.”
You’re using statistical jargon, but please understand we’re talking about people’s loved ones, not an opinion, or a certain point of view. Also keep in mind, that if this was truly like the flu, then it would already be inline with what we know to expect from the flu. Our medical system wouldn’t be as strained as it is, because the flu is a beast we know–the reason it’s mortality rate is at .1% is because we can treat it…this isn’t the flu. I don’t know how many times they have to keep telling us this, for us to understand.
SO YOUR GOING TO ALL THE NUMBERS AND SAY 4.5%, SO TELL ME THIS, WHAT 21,284 DIVIDED BY 3.3 BILLION? IT’S .000064497%, THIS IS YOUR REAL CHANCE OF MORTALITY FROM THIS VIRUS. BEFORE YOU GET MAD AND SAY THAT’S NOT RIGHT, I’M DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID WITH YOUR $’S, YOU ARE GROUPING ALL COUNTRY’S AND CASES TOGETHER. ITALY’S #’S CAN NOT BE GROUPED WITH SAY GERMANY, THE REASON IS IN ITALY 74% OF CORVID-19 INFECTIONS WERE IN PEOPLE OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE. IN GERMANY 72% OF CONFIRMED INFECTIONS WERE IN PEOPLE UNDER 50, THEY HAD 25,000 CASES AND A 0.4 MORTALITY RATE, SO YOUR 4.5% NUMBER IS NOTHING BUT AN ATTEMPT AT SHOCK VALUE AND FEAR MONGERING. EVERYBODY ON THIS THREAD THAT IS SAYING LOCK IT DOWN, REMEMBER 1 THING, THE POWERS THAT BE HAVE ALREADY STEPPED ON AT LEAST 2 CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, AND ALSO OVER STEPPING BY MAKING PRIVATE OWNED COMPANY’S EITHER SHUT DOWN, OR MODIFY HOW THEY DO WORK. I DO NOT REMEMBER SHUTTING DOWN FOR H1N1, SARS, EBOLA, OR ANYONE NOT HAVING SEX WHEN HIV AND AIDS HIT. QUIT BEING SHEEP, THINK FOR YOURSELF, CANCER KILLS MORE PEOPLE EVERY YEAR IN THE WORLD THAN THIS BUT PEOPLE STILL ENGAGE IN RISKY PRACTICES. HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE IN CAR ACCIDENTS EVERY YEAR, BUT Y’ALL STILL DRIVE, RIGHT? PULL IT TOGETHER PEOPLE AND QUIT SPREADING BS
Numbers from CDC and WHO indicate otherwise.
Globally mortality rate is 4.5%
USA that rate is currently 1.5%
The current Flu season is 1.5% with 54 M infected. 250+ M not infected.
Since it is predicted that 50% of the US population (175M) will get infected with Covid19, a 1.5% mortality rate will yeild 2,625,000 deaths and 35M with serious conditions, which along with the 2.6M, will swamp hospitals.
This is why we need to flatten the curve: Shut down everything possible, etc.
We aren’t talking about global death rates. We are talking about deth rates in the US.
If you look at the global death rates for the flu, it is also much higher than the 0.01% that we see on average in the US. This has a lot to do with the health care of other countries. Ours is much more advanced.
As far as the vaccine, it does nothing for people that have already contracted the virus.
It is very likely that a lot of people in our community would probably test positive if given the test, but not show any symptoms. We have all touched a door knob, picked up a fuel nozzle, opened our mailbox, and many other things in the past week.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people get the flu. Every year, tens of thousands die from the flu. On average, 30,000+ people die from the flu EVERY YEAR. These are not global numbers. That is just in the US.
We don’t freak out and panic or “shut it down” every flu season and we shouldn’t be doing it now.
If we would all take a step back and access the situation, we would all realize that this is being blown way out of proportion.
Your numbers assume EVERYONE in the country will get it. That is never the case with a pandemic. 1.3 % of the infected is more accurate death rate and right online with the normal flu. All Death is sad but expected eventually.
Shutting down the town or county won’t do anything with all the exceptions creating every business as “essential”. These businesses are claiming they are necessary to stay operational like they life and death, when really they don’t produce anything essential at their particular site, but overall they are owned by a company that does provide essential products at another facility, sometimes in another state. You can’t stop the spread of you have all the employees crammed instead of the production floor on top of each other or inside of a business because you claim to be essential today by a loophole. It’s all about the money. I want to work, but not if my fellow coworkers are sick and possibly infecting me which intern could infect my family! It’s time to tackle this virus as a whole community! Stay home and stop thinking of this as a mini-vacation!
Knowledge is needed. Knowing in what department the positively tested person worked would be helpful so folks could know quarantine immediately if they Interacted in the vicinity. Prayers for this person to recover fully and quickly.
Lockdown Brenham before this gets out of hand. 1 week shelter in place is better than a community of sick people our hospital is not prepared to handle. Think about everybody in this situation not just $
Totally agree .
We should all quarantine, Brenham is very susceptible to this virus
The city doesn’t have enough tests to test everyone with symptoms. I contacted my doctor about symptoms last week. Four out of five of our children had every single system on the list and it got worse. All they did was send a script for allergies! What kind of allergies cause very high fever (umm none). They know as much as we do. Surrounding counties are already in a shelter in place. Yet our elderly community is bigger. Shut it down. Use some critical thinking here and shut it down before it gets worse. Our tiny hospital can’t do much of anything for anyone anymore (they use to be good but not anymore). They even sent my husband to college station (by ambulance) for a broken hand! We are not equipped to handle this, no city is. Saddest part is the majority of people won’t listen to the people. Heck we still have massive meetings of people that are gathering to do the veragsale exchange. This has been in our community for weeks now, the doctors are just not testing like they should because their hands are tied.
I agree to many people at Walmart heb and brookshire that’s where you gonna get it from sorry to say
Just my opinion. We should require Washington County ID to even enter a store here locally.
Uh, make sure you don’t buy from any other city the.
Don’t intend to and can’t remember the last time I did.
We need to keep all of these bluebonnet picture taken people out of our county!! We don’t know where they’ve been or where they are from! City of Brenham and Washington County, please hear us citizens!!
Shouldn’t the public know who has it in case they’ve been exposed to that person in the last 2 weeks? Duh?
Can u say what department this person is in
I agree, our community is way to small. City needs to be shut down completely!!!!
It was inevitable, but strange thing is, if you pass the HEB parking lot or Wal Mart their parking lots are so full it’s unbelievable.
They should only provide shopping service and to the vehicle.
Unsure if how many places this employee visited, and how many people can be affected
Reply
Driving by Jackson Street Park. Must have been at least 25 to 30 on basketball court.
Not six feet apart ??????????
I can only buy food a week at a time. I can’t wait another week for curbside service, or delivery from HEB. I don’t have a mask. I don’t have gloves. I don’t want to take anyone with me inside store. But have no one to watch child while I get supplies when it’s time to restock. If there was a complete shutdown, we wouldn’t have enough food to make it. Some of us aren’t lucky enough to stock up a month of food. Isolation isn’t our problem here at home, but we never have enough friends nearby willing to help in times like these.
I just wanted to thank all of our essential workers; healthcare; first responders…for your sacrifices. God speed.
I feel like we have the right to know where this person was employed at because now that puts many people at risk
No you don’t!!! It’s completely none of your busy! Try practicing and following the CDC recommendation and you’ll be fine!!
Well I guess Brenham folk finally will take Coronavirus seriously! All I see is everyone around here going about their day completely oblivious to the fact that this virus is real.
IT IS NOT A DISEASE!! STOP SPREADING PROPAGANDA!
People coming here from other counties to shop in our already empty grocery stores does not help the community spread of the Covid-19 Virus.
This is not a medical emergency, and not a time for panic.
It is very odd to see the stores and Walmart as packed as they have been. There is no reason the County shouldn’t due some version of what Brazos, Dallas, Tarrant and others in Texas are already doing: shelter in place.
Let’s not risk unnecessary loss of live or urge seniors go on a suicide mission all in the name of patriotism, for the good of the economy or some misguided and dangerous paean to “the way things used to be before the virus.” See Dan Patrick.
Enough with the alternative facts and dangerous optimism you see coming out of Washington. We need to do the right thing and shut it down.
Everyone Please calm down. Panic solves nothing.
– Practice and Maintain Social Distancing guidelines.
– Follow solid sanitation guidelines
– Go to the grocery store only when necessary
– Use disposable gloves when handling gas pump nozzles
– DO NOT attend groups of FIVE or more.
Please please please quarantine Washington county before this gets out of control. It’s already here. We need to be doing more because at the rate we’re going, it’s going to spread and infect us
What if a person thinks they could have it and they are a smoker and history of asthma but does not have health insurance or a doctor. What do they do? Doesn’t Brenham need to keep track of cases? Is there somewhere for them to go to be tested or someone that could come to them?
Please contact faith mission call cent hotline at 1-800-845-8035 for info and assistance
If you suspect you are experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19, you should call your healthcare provider, or the closest ER. They will be able to advise you what needs to be done and can answer your questions regarding costs.
Call your DR. they will ask you questions and determine if you need to be tested or tell you where to go to be tested.
He said he doesn’t have a doctor or insurance.
Our grocery stores need to cut down on number of customers allowed in store at one time as well as Wal Mart. People too close together.
Agree with you 100%. HEB Plus in Mont Belvieu is 30 at a time. Pearland was letting in two at a time.
Shut it down already, for crying out loud!
I agree, our community is way to small. City needs to be shut down completely!!!!
It was inevitable, but strange thing is, if you pass the HEB parking lot or Wal Mart their parking lots are so full it’s unbelievable.
They should only provide shopping service and to the vehicle.
Unsure if how many places this employee visited, and how many people can be affected
Reply
Use common sense. The powers that be wanted to “flatten the curve”. Now that that’s being done, they’ve moved on to full lockdowns. Don’t over react. If one wants to shut themselves down, they can decide that individually.
Many more will follow that first case in the next 14 days. To effectively starve the virus, the whole nation and all the world needs to shutdown for the 14 day incubation period.
Essential (power companies) personnel will need to shelter in place at their work.