With the news of Greene County’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 earlier this week, there might be more on the way.

Dr. Laurie Connolly with Greene County Family Practice Clinic suspects that there are undiagnosed people who have COVID-19 and have not been confirmed by testing because there is a shortage of test kits nationwide. 

“We have to remember that currently we’re thinking that one positive case probably transfers the virus to three other people is what they (other health experts) are seeing in the country and world. One person (who is) positive has probably transferred that to three other people who then each transfer that to three other people.”

Infection Prevention Nurse Heather Kinsey with Greene County Medical Center says there are people who are asymptomatic of the virus, meaning they no symptoms but can still spread the illness. She stresses the need for people to wear protective masks when in a public setting.

“They could have the virus and not even feel sick and they could be walking around exposing other people. So if everybody just wears the mask they’re preventing the spread. Whether or not they know they have COVID(-19) if everyone wears it then we’re slowing down that spread even more.”

Dr. Connolly adds, people need to be patient and continue to practice social distancing and staying home for at least a few more weeks until the curve flattens out with new positive COVID-19 cases in Iowa.