RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina has identified its first case of coronavirus, according to Governor Roy Cooper's office. The person is from Wake County.
The test was conducted by the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health and will be confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lab.
State health leaders said the person is doing well and is in isolation at their home. They are checking in with the person on a daily basis to monitor their symptoms.
“I know that people are worried about this virus, and I want to assure North Carolinians our state is prepared,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Our task force and state agencies are working closely with local health departments, health care providers and others to quickly identify and respond to cases that might occur.”
State health leaders said the person traveled to the state of Washington and was exposed to the virus at a long-term care facility. State officials did not say what airport the person used.
The state is now in the process of contacting close contacts of the person who has coronavirus to monitor its spread.
The state said this is an isolated case and currently there is not a widespread outbreak of the coronavirus.
FACTS NOT FEAR
Remember facts not fear when talking about the coronavirus. You should take the same measures recommended by health leaders to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses. That means washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, and covering coughs and sneezes.
NC CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE
Last month the state formed a task force to support the state’s ongoing effort to monitor the coronavirus.
State actions include:
- Aggressively pursuing containment strategy of rapid identification, testing, and contact tracing.
- Engaging in daily collaboration with federal, state and local partners to ensure rapid response.
- Mobilizing resources for our providers, local public health system, local emergency management, and others.
- Developing detailed response plans for multiple sectors for a range of scenarios.
- Developing guidance for planning for multiple sectors for a range of scenarios.
- Preparing healthcare providers and facilities to streamline and standardize response activities.
- Activating a Joint Information Center to provide timely information.
- Testing patients in the NC State Laboratory of Public Health.
- Leading regular calls with local health departments, hospitals, and local emergency management.
- Providing guidelines for health care providers, child care, employers, schools, colleges and universities, and others.
- Monitoring residents who have returned from China through local health departments.
- Staffing a COVID-19 phone line to answer urgent questions from the public.
- Maintaining an up-to-date website with information about COVID-19 disease, risk, and guidance.
WHERE YOU GET INFORMATION ABOUT CORONAVIRUS IS IMPORTANT
It is important to make sure the information you are getting about the coronavirus is coming directly from reliable sources like the CDC and NCDHHS. Be careful not to spread misinformation about coronavirus on social media.
NC CORONAVIRUS HOTLINE
The state also has a special hotline set up where you can call 866-462-3821 for more information on the coronavirus. You can also submit questions online at ncpoisoncontrol.org or select chat to talk with someone about the virus.
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