Dr. Aaron Billin

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Park County sunk to its lowest level in months over the weekend, with one patient at Powell Valley Healthcare and another at Cody Regional Health. However, by Monday, the Cody hospital had added four more patients for a new county-wide total of six hospitalizations.

As of Friday afternoon, there were 117 active cases in Park County — including 53 infections in Powell and 43 in Cody, according to data from Park County Health Officer Dr. Aaron Billin. The count includes people who are confirmed to have COVID-19 and those deemed as probable cases because of their symptoms and close contact with a person known to have the disease.

Though the number of infections in Powell remains about double what it was in mid-November, the total number of active cases in the county dropped by 16 from Monday, Nov. 23 to Thursday; Billin said Thursday that, in comparison to other Wyoming counties, Park County had recorded the third-fewest daily new cases per capita in recent days.

Between Nov. 24 and Monday, there were 104 new confirmed and probable cases logged in Park County, down from 142 the prior week, according to Wyoming Department of Health data.

“Thank you for all you do,” Billin wrote in a Friday Facebook update.

“However,” he added, “Wyoming is experiencing a significant surge right now and no county is an island. Park County is influenced by what is happening in the counties around us, and vice versa.”

For example, while local hospitalizations have sunk from a peak of 11 patients in late October and early November, patient counts continue to rise across the state. On Monday, a new record of 247 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in facilities around Wyoming — including 66 patients at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper.

It remains to be seen how Thanksgiving gatherings and travel will impact infections.

Most people who become infected with the novel coronavirus develop mild or moderate symptoms, but it can cause serious illness. In Park County, there have been six deaths attributed to COVID-19 out of more than 1,300 confirmed and probable cases since March.

Billin said research indicates that people who suffer mild cases and recover enjoy immunity from the virus for at least three months.

As a result, “If you have recovered from COVID-19 and are exposed again within 90 days, it is not necessary to quarantine again,” he said. “However, it is important to continue practicing the other individual responsibilities (such as mask wearing and physical distancing) that have proven effective in limiting viral transmission.”