One person tested presumptively positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus in Wake County, North Carolina, according to a state health official who confirmed the state’s first case of the mysterious new virus that has left at least nine people dead in the United States.
The patient had traveled from Wake County to Washington state and was exposed to the virus at a longterm health care facility where there is an outbreak. Officials in King County, Washington, said that several COVID-19 patients and deaths have been linked to the Kirkland-based Life Care Center.
Now, health department officials in the state are attempting to identify anyone who may have had close contact with the patient. No other details about the patient, including the person’s age, were released to the public.
“Today’s announcement represents an isolated case, and COVID-19 is currently not widespread in North Carolina. Because COVID-19 is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets, North Carolinians should take the same measures that healthcare providers recommend annually to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses, including washing your hands, avoiding touching your face and covering coughs and sneezes,” according to the health agency.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will have to confirm any presumptive COVID-19 cases in the state, said officials.