For those who think they may have COVID-19 and have mild symptoms, the CDC recommends they stay home and call their doctor for medical advice.

Most people who get coronavirus will have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care.

The state’s department of health and human services say whenever people with mild illness leave their homes to get tested, they could expose themselves to COVID-19 if they do not already have it.

And if they do have the virus, they can give it to someone else including those who are at high risk and health care providers.

In addition, because there is no treatment for coronavirus, a test will not change what someone with mild symptoms will do.

Supplies and testing need to be preserved to allow health care providers to treat the seriously ill and those in high-risk settings like nursing homes or long term care facilities.

Although most virus cases include mild symptoms, it can make some very ill, or for others it can be fatal.

According to the CDC, those at higher risk for severe illness include those 65 years and older, those who live in a nursing home or long term care facility, those that have a high risk condition such as chronic lung disease, asthma, heart disease with complications, a compromised immune system, or severe obesity.

Other underlying medical conditions placing people at a higher risk are diabetes, renal failure or liver disease.

For those concerned about symptoms of COVID-19, health officials urge them to call their doctors.

Five new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Catawba County, bringing the county’s total of cases to 9.

A news release reports Catawba County Public Health received the positive test results overnight and immediately began investigating.

The release says two of the new cases are close contacts of known cases.

Two are hospitalized, two are isolated at home, and one has recovered.

At last report, there have been 400 people tested in Catawba County with 112 negative results, and the remaining number pending results.

The state highway patrol reports a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car Wednesday evening in Catawba County just before 9.

The pedestrian identified as 38-year-old Adam Darrell Mullins of Conover was walking with traffic when hit by the vehicle on Emmanuel Church Road in Newton.

Reports say Mullins was wearing dark clothes.

Troopers say the driver of the car is not expected to be charged.

 NC’s off-highway (OHV) vehicle trail systems will be temporarily closed until May 15^th.

Among the closings is the Brown Mountain OHV on Brown Mountain Beach Road in Burke County.

Officials report use of the OHV trails places a strain on emergency resources, especially search and rescue crews at a time when these resources are already limited within the local communities.

The trail’s closing will be re-evaluated May 15^th.