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The Moniteau County Health Center reported yet another death due to coronavirus Tuesday evening, the fourth in the county in the past week.
The deceased individual was in their 40s, the Health Center announced in a press release at 5 p.m. Per the Health Center's usual policy, no further information about the individual will be released.
With Tuesday's news, Moniteau County has now seen nine deaths due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, with nearly half coming just since last Tuesday.
Moniteau County has also seen a rapid increase in new positive cases in the same period, with 105 being added to the tally in the past week. There are 108 active cases in the county as of Tuesday at 5 p.m., seven of which are hospitalized, for a total case count of 574 since March.
The Health Center again urged everyone to take actions to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including avoiding close contact with people who are sick; avoiding touching one's eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; washing one's hands with soap and water regularly; cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces regularly; staying home if one feels sick; and adhering to proper social distancing by remaining 6 feet away from others and wearing a facial covering when engaging in tasks away from home.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website at health.mo.gov/coronavirus or the CDC website at cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Missouri operates a statewide COVID-19 hotline at 877-435-8411 from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. seven days a week.