From the Boston Globe
Feb. 1st, 2020 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
camwynBoston man confirmed to have coronavirus
KENNETH SINGLETARY, JOHN HILLIARD
February 1 at 1:48 PM ET A
Boston man in his 20s who recently returned from Wuhan, China, has been confirmed as the first Massachusetts case of the virus that has infected thousands of people worldwide, public health officials said in a statement early Saturday afternoon.
The risk to the public from the coronavirus remains low in the state, according to the statement, which was released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission.
Both agencies were notified late Friday evening about the positive test results by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the statement said. The Boston man had sought medical care soon after his return to Massachusetts. “He has been isolated since that time and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials,” the statement said. “His few close contacts have been identified and are being monitored for any sign of symptoms.”
Rita Nieves, director of the Boston Public Health Commission, said in the statement that the man is doing well. At this time, Boston residents are not being asked to do anything differently, she said.
“DPH and BPHC continue to work closely with the CDC to maintain vigilance during this virus outbreak,” said the statement.
Worldwide, 99 percent of the cases are in China, but infections have been reported in about 20 nations. The Boston man is the eighth case of infection with the virus reported in the US; the others include three people in California, two in Illinois, and one each in Washington state and in Arizona, the statement said.
On Friday, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared the virus a public health emergency and ordered US citizens returning from the center of the outbreak in China to be quarantined for two weeks as a precaution, the statement said.
The move came after the World Health Organization Thursday declared the virus a “public health emergency of international concern,” the statement said.
Coronaviruses are respiratory diseases generally spread by coughing and sneezing of an infected person to another person, the statement said. Symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and severe cases, pneumonia, according to the statement.
People are advised to take many of the same steps to help prevent colds and the flu, including washing hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds; cover coughs and sneezes; and stay home when feeling sick, the statement said. Clinicians who see patients who recently traveled to China, especially Hubei Province, and who have a fever, lower respiratory tract symptoms, or contact with a known patient should contact state health officials, the statement said.
More information about the virus for Massachusetts residents can be found at https://www.mass.gov/2019coronavirus.
KENNETH SINGLETARY, JOHN HILLIARD
February 1 at 1:48 PM ET A
Boston man in his 20s who recently returned from Wuhan, China, has been confirmed as the first Massachusetts case of the virus that has infected thousands of people worldwide, public health officials said in a statement early Saturday afternoon.
The risk to the public from the coronavirus remains low in the state, according to the statement, which was released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission.
Both agencies were notified late Friday evening about the positive test results by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the statement said. The Boston man had sought medical care soon after his return to Massachusetts. “He has been isolated since that time and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials,” the statement said. “His few close contacts have been identified and are being monitored for any sign of symptoms.”
Rita Nieves, director of the Boston Public Health Commission, said in the statement that the man is doing well. At this time, Boston residents are not being asked to do anything differently, she said.
“DPH and BPHC continue to work closely with the CDC to maintain vigilance during this virus outbreak,” said the statement.
Worldwide, 99 percent of the cases are in China, but infections have been reported in about 20 nations. The Boston man is the eighth case of infection with the virus reported in the US; the others include three people in California, two in Illinois, and one each in Washington state and in Arizona, the statement said.
On Friday, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared the virus a public health emergency and ordered US citizens returning from the center of the outbreak in China to be quarantined for two weeks as a precaution, the statement said.
The move came after the World Health Organization Thursday declared the virus a “public health emergency of international concern,” the statement said.
Coronaviruses are respiratory diseases generally spread by coughing and sneezing of an infected person to another person, the statement said. Symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and severe cases, pneumonia, according to the statement.
People are advised to take many of the same steps to help prevent colds and the flu, including washing hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds; cover coughs and sneezes; and stay home when feeling sick, the statement said. Clinicians who see patients who recently traveled to China, especially Hubei Province, and who have a fever, lower respiratory tract symptoms, or contact with a known patient should contact state health officials, the statement said.
More information about the virus for Massachusetts residents can be found at https://www.mass.gov/2019coronavirus.
