Herriman Man Tests Positive For COVID-19

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Salt Lake County man who recently spent time in Colorado said he was notified that he tested positive for coronavirus.

Casey Garland of Herriman said he got the call at 2 p.m. Saturday from healthcare providers, confirming his suspicion.

“They said, ‘You’ve got the virus. You’ve tested positive for COVID-19. Stay out of the public. Stay away from your family,’” said Casey Garland.

He said he was told he was the sixth COVID-19 positive case in the county. He suspected he contracted the virus during a business trip to Vail, Colorado, last week, but he didn’t find out until Thursday.

He has been trying to track down those with whom he came in contact. He said 20-30 colleagues from around the country gathered for the Colorado conference.

“I can confirm that three of us now have tested positive for the virus,” Garland said. “I found out Thursday afternoon from the organizer of that event that one of us in the group had tested positive for the virus.”

Garland says he started feeling sick before flying home on Monday, but thought it was a cough. He went to work on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the dentist on Thursday morning.

“If I had known that someone had the virus, I would have stayed home all week, or been tested much earlier. I think that would have drastically reduced the amount of spread,” Garland said.

After learning someone in his group tested positive, Garland said he immediately started making calls to be tested. The process took four hours and included multiple calls to different agencies, he said.

“There is such a breakdown in that process. It needs to be much more efficient if we’re to stomp this thing out as quickly as we can,” said Garland.

The best way to keep his family safe, he decided, was to quarantine himself in the basement.

“I’ve got an asthmatic son that I am trying to avoid so that I can mitigate that patient zero guilt as much as possible,” Garland said.

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How Do I Prevent It?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC does not recommend wearing a facemask respirator to protect yourself from coronavirus unless a healthcare professional recommends it.