Yellowstone County jail inmate tests positive for COVID-19

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana reported two more cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, including an inmate at the Yellowstone County jail in Billings.

The inmate, who is in her 30’s, tested positive on Tuesday, said RiverStone Health spokesperson Barbara Schneeman. She is being cared for at a Billings hospital, Sheriff Mike Linder told The Billings Gazette.

The second new case confirmed from among more than 1,700 tests run on Tuesday involves a male in his teens from Big Horn County. His case is not believed to be tied to the eight previous cases in the county. He along with five others who still have active cases are quarantining and recovering at home, county officials said.

Montana has 481 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Seventeen people have died and there are 20 known active cases in the state. Two people are hospitalized.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.

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This version has been updated to correct that the Yellowstone County inmate is a woman.