Mobile County recorded its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Thursday, March 19, 2020, according to results released at 1 p.m. that day. The patient is a child who is being cared for by a pediatrician and is isolating at home rather than in a hospital setting.
The Mobile County case came in addition to 68 cases reported statewide earlier that same morning by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), reflecting how quickly the virus was spreading across Alabama in the early weeks of the outbreak. Local testing had been conducted in line with federal and state public health guidelines.
The announcement followed closely on the heels of local action taken by Mobile County Health Officer Dr. Bernard H. Eichold, who on Wednesday, March 18, issued an order suspending certain public gatherings in the county because of the risk posed by COVID-19. That local order had come a day after ADPH imposed similar restrictions on Jefferson, Blount, St. Clair, Shelby, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties.
By Thursday afternoon, ADPH issued new statewide health orders that superseded the Mobile County Health Department’s Order of the Health Officer No. 01-2020, extending state-level restrictions to cover all of Mobile County. As part of the guidance, ADPH recommended that gatherings of more than 25 people be postponed or canceled as a precaution against further spread.
Health officials reiterated basic facts about the virus as case counts grew. Most people infected with COVID-19 experience mild respiratory symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, though some cases become severe enough to require hospitalization. Anyone experiencing symptoms was urged to contact a healthcare provider first, rather than going directly to a clinic or emergency room, so that appropriate precautions could be arranged in advance.
As with influenza, the common cold and other respiratory illnesses, residents were encouraged to take standard precautions to limit the spread of disease: practicing good hand hygiene, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, staying home when ill, covering coughs and sneezes, and regularly cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.
Public health officials also emphasized that certain groups faced a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. People age 65 and older, along with those managing heart disease, lung disease, diabetes or other conditions that weaken the immune system, were advised to limit close interaction with anyone showing respiratory symptoms.
The child’s case marked a notable early milestone in Mobile County’s experience with the pandemic, underscoring that COVID-19 was not confined to older adults or those with existing health conditions, even as public health guidance continued to stress that those groups faced the greatest risk of severe illness.