Although Vermont has no suspected cases of the new coronavirus, officials report that two potential cases are being monitored at hospitals in Littleton and Concord, New Hampshire.
Health Department officials say the potentially deadly virus that was first identified in Wuhan, China, and has since caused a global outbreak of respiratory illness still poses a “very low” risk to Vermonters at this time, though the virus’ spread is evolving rapidly.
“It’s important for people to know that the only way to get this new coronavirus is if you were exposed to it while traveling in Hubei Province, or if you are exposed to someone who did and they were contagious,” Commissioner of Health Mark Levine said in a statement.
Levine said the department issued a “health advisory” to health care providers across the state on Thursday with instructions on how to identify and control the infection, should they need it.
The illness has caused more than 100 deaths and sickened thousands globally.
In New Hampshire, both cases under investigation involve patients with respiratory symptoms who recently traveled to Wuhan, China.
The patient at Littleton Regional Healthcare is a student from White Mountain School in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, who came to the hospital’s emergency room Thursday with “mild flu-like symptoms,” according to a Facebook post from the hospital.
The student had reportedly traveled to Hunan, China, in December, returning to the U.S. on Jan. 6. The hospital said the student has been placed in a negative pressure intensive care room for treatment and to prevent cross-contamination to other parts of the hospital.
The hospital noted that the federal Centers for Disease Control would be able to provide a diagnosis sometime Tuesday or Wednesday.
“From the moment we were notified that the patient was being transported to LRH, we followed all CDC recommendations to mitigate risk to any other patients and the public at large,” the hospital wrote. “There is no risk to public health by being in our building. We have no concerns about operations continuing.”
No specific information has been released about the suspected case in Concord.
Public health officials are recommending frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and avoiding close contact with people who are sick to prevent the spread of all respiratory diseases. That would include the flu, which is currently widespread in Vermont.