Alpine County health official warns of Kirkwood celebration COVID outbreak

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Alpine County Public Health Officer Dr. Richard Johnson has issued a warning after multiple attendees at the Kirkwood 50th anniversary celebration have been diagnosed with COVID.

On Saturday evening December 17, approximately 200 people attended the party in the "old lodge" at the Kirkwood Mountain Ski Resort.

Johnson said it has been reported to his department that most attendees were the “old timers.”

So far this week Alpine County has been notified of several persons with new onset of COVID illness that attended the event. Reports also indicate that there are others who are sick, said Johnson.

Act quickly. COVID-19 treatments work best when started within the first 5-7 days of symptoms.

Medicines are free regardless of insurance or citizenship status.

Facts about COVID-19 treatment
• Treatments are safe and very effective at preventing serious illness.*
• Antiviral therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19, ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid™), remdesivir (Veklury®), and molnupiravir Lagevrio™), retain activity against currently circulating Omicron sublineages. These medications can prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death and are widely available but have been underused.
• The Alpine County Health Department has a supply of Paxlovid, the oral medication.
• Treatments can help you to test negative sooner, and may reduce the risk of long COVID symptoms.*
• Treatments work best when started as soon as possible. Don’t wait for symptoms to get worse.
• You must have COVID-19 symptoms and have a positive COVID-19 test. Use an at-home test.
The Health Department has a supply of home tests available at no charge.
• If you have symptoms, but your test is negative, repeat the test every day for 2-3 more days. Sometimes the initial test stays negative until enough virus builds up in your system to trigger a positive result.
• Most adults should get COVID-19 treatments because they are at higher risk of severe COVID-19. This includes people who:
o Are over 50 years old or older –OR–
o Are unvaccinated for COVID-19 –OR–
o Are over 12 years old with conditions that increase risk. These include obesity, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, lack of physical activity, smoking, and mental health conditions such as depression. Learn more about medical conditions that increase the risk of serious illness from COVID-19.
* Scientific evidence shows treatments reduce the risk of serious illness from COVID-19. The Paxlovid pill can reduce the risk of death or hospitalization from COVID-19 by up to 88%. Early evidence also suggests COVID-19 treatment may decrease the risk of developing long COVID symptoms, which are symptoms and medical issues that can last for weeks, months, or years after a COVID-19 infection.
• Note: If you have severe COVID-19 symptoms including trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, or trouble staying awake, go to the emergency room or call 911 right away.

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