By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org
NORTH CONWAY – A doctor who works at the Memorial Hospital has tested positive for COVID-19 and is recovering at home, according to a brief the hospital posted on the Conway Daily Sun’s Facebook page.
The posting was in response to a news report by Terry Leavitt that the Sun published on Wednesday about the positive test.
“The physician last saw patients at Memorial on March 6 and first noticed symptoms on March 15 and immediately tested for the virus,” the hospital posting said.
It went on to say that current guidelines from the state Department of Health and Human Services indicate the critical period for transmission to others begins 24-hours before symptoms appear.
“Anyone in contact with the physician before March 14 should be at negligible risk but should monitor for symptoms. The Dept. of Health will perform a thorough contact trace to determine who is a possible risk for transmission.”
One Facebook commenter said, “So why wait 4 days to put out a post about it? Why wait until the Daily Sun puts it out?”
Another commented: “We really need to know who this is so we can determine if we had contact.”
State officials say federal privacy rules preclude the state from releasing any information about individuals who test positive for COVID-19, but employers can confirm whether someone who has been infected with the virus works there.
According to its website, Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit, 25-bed critical access hospital that provides a 24-hour emergency department, surgery center, clinical laboratory, heart health & wellness programs, and other services.