137 COVID-19 cases now confirmed in Denton County

Denton County reported 54 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday.

Denton County Judge Andy Eads said the new total of confirmed cases in the county is 137. This is easily the largest daily increase in the county since the first case was reported less than two weeks ago. There are more than 700 confirmed cases in North Texas.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients who reside at the Denton State Supported Living Center also increased significantly, going from a total of eight Thursday to 39 Friday. Two DSSLC staff members also tested positive.

“Community spread is being seen throughout Denton County now and we continue to stress the importance of physical distancing,” said Dr. Matt Richardson, Director of Denton County Public Health. “With incubation and transmission timelines, we still expect to see cases continue to rise while community members stay home; however, we hope those numbers begin to flatten within the coming weeks.”

Argyle, Corinth, Roanoke and Krum now have confirmed cases. So far, no one under 20 years old has been diagnosed in the county. Nearly 100 of the 137 patients were in home isolation, and 29 were hospitalized, an increase from 24 as of Thursday. There was also a sharp increase in the number of patients who had contact with a confirmed case, from eight as of Thursday to 41 Friday.

Also, DCPH reported for the first time the number of patients who have recovered. As of Friday, 23 of the 137 patients have recovered. One person, a man in his 40s from Lewisville, died Wednesday.

Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. However, some patients can have more severe symptoms, complications and/or death.

Should individuals experience more severe symptoms, DCPH encourages individuals to call their health care provider or emergency department prior to arrival, to limit exposure.

DCPH continues to investigate and confirm data from known cases as it becomes available. Jurisdictional data in the daily case count table may be updated due to the provision of additional clarifying information. Visit www.dentoncounty.gov/COVID19 for additional local information regarding COVID-19, including information for community members, travelers and healthcare providers.