Possible MD Coronavirus Patient Awaits Test Results

BALTIMORE, MD — The Maryland Department of Health on Monday said a patient is being tested for the novel coronavirus infection that originated last month in Wuhan, China. Five cases of the illness have been confirmed in the United States, and several possible cases are being investigated across the country.

The patient is in good condition and is being monitored while awaiting test results from the CDC laboratory, state health officials said in a news release.

“The Maryland Department of Health is closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation with 2019 N-CoV, both in the U.S. and in China,” said MDH Deputy Secretary of Public Health Fran Phillips in the release. “As we learn more, Marylanders are encouraged to practice everyday actions to promote good health and to protect yourself and your loved ones from respiratory viruses like the coronavirus — wash your hands thoroughly, cover your cough and avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home from work or school if you’re not feeling well.”

Information and updates about 2019-nCoV in Maryland — including up-to-date testing and laboratory-confirmed case numbers — are available at health.maryland.gov/coronavirus.

The death toll in China from the virus has risen to 82, with about 2,700 cases of the disease confirmed in the country. As of Monday afternoon, the five U.S. cases have been confirmed in Chicago, Washington state, Maricopa County, Arizona, and two in southern California. To date, about 100 samples from 26 states have been sent to the CDC for testing, NBC News reports.
The new virus is called 2019-nCoV by disease experts.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, and trouble breathing, and can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.

A team of doctors and nurses atJohns Hopkins Hospital last week practiced treating a patient with a contagious respiratory virus. The facility has the only biocontainment unit in the Mid-Atlantic, reports WJZ TV, and it can treat up to four patients at one time.

“What we’re worried about in this current outbreak is that we don’t yet know how virulent this virus is or how dangerous it can be to the average person and we also don’t know how easily its spread from person to person.” Dr. Brian Garibaldi told the TV station.

If you traveled to Wuhan, China, or other areas impacted by 2019-nCoV, monitor for symptoms of fever, cough or difficulty breathing for 14 days after your return.

If you do feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing during that 14 days, you should:

• Seek medical care right away. Before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
• Avoid contact with others.
• Not travel while sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Related: Flu Cases Spike, 442 VA Deaths Reported In 2019-20 Season

The patients in Los Angeles and Orange counties are both returning travelers from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the virus, according to health officials. The Orange County patient is in isolation at a hospital and in "good condition," according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The Los Angeles County patient, confirmed Sunday, sought medical treatment after not feeling well, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

According to the CDC, coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses that cause illnesses both in humans and animals. In rare cases, animal coronaviruses can evolve to infect people. The new virus is officially referred to as "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV."

While there is currently no vaccine for this novel coronavirus, you can take preventative actions every day to help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Healthcare providers who suspect the 2019-nCoV infection in a patient should report them immediately to their local health department, as well as the Maryland Department of Health at 410-767-6700 during working hours or at 410-795-7365 after working hours.

If a patient meets the criteria of a patient under investigation in association with the outbreak of the coronavirus:

• Ask the patient to wear a surgical mask.
• Evaluate the patient in a private room with the door closed, ideally in an airborne infection
• isolation room if available.
• Use standard, contact and airborne precautions, and eye protection (e.g., goggles or face
• shield).
• Immediately notify infection control personnel and your local health department.

At this time, only the CDC laboratories in Atlanta have the capabilities to test for the coronavirus, though it is expected that state public health laboratories will be able to test soon.

Researchers around the globe are still determining precisely how the virus spreads. Many patients in the Wuhan outbreak had visited a large seafood and animal market, but a growing number of patients have no connection.

RELATED: What Is A Novel Coronavirus? Health Officials Explain