Fourth COVID-19 patient in Winneshiek County is facing bigger medical hurdles than the first three patients did

Winneshiek County has still had only four confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus.  The first three county residents who caught the disease did not require hospitalization and have already recovered.

But Winneshiek County Public Health Director Krista VandenBrink says the fourth patient is "by far the sickest."  She told county supervisors on Monday that the patient has been experiencing shortness of breath. 

The next two weeks in April could be tough locally, she says, as there could be additional cases and some of them could be serious.

"We need people to stay home," she again stresses.