Mother And 3-Year-Old Among Three Cases Of Coronavirus Now Confirmed In Collin County
COLLIN COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) — Two additional cases of the novel coronavirus have now been confirmed in North Texas.
On Monday officials with Collin County Health Care Services confirmed a man in his 30s, believed to have been exposed to the virus during a trip to California, tested positive for a "presumptive case" of COVID-19. The two cases confirmed today are the Frisco man's wife and three-year-old child.
The couple have four children in all and officials say they and their close family members were tested hours after the "presumptive positive" results came back for the father. One of the children had an inconclusive test and is being re-tested -- the other family members tested negative.
While only three members of the family have been confirmed for coronavirus, all of the immediate family and those close to them are in self-quarantine in their homes and are said to be in stable condition. Officials say none of those who tested positive are sick enough to require hospitalization.
The father is believed to have been exposed during a business trip but health officials say he showed no symptoms while flying home and did not post a risk to passengers on the plane.
Likewise, health officials confirmed both of the family's school-age children -- at least one of them believed to be a student at Tadlock Elementary -- did not have symptoms and were not contagious at any time while they attended classes.
Epidemiology staff are monitoring the family and working to identify anyone else who may have had contact with the confirmed cases while the patients were symptomatic.
Ultimately, officials say the immediate risk of novel coronavirus transmission in Collin County remains low.
More than 750 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the U.S. and at least 27 have died.
Just before the lunch hour Friday private health insurance companies agreed to cover coronavirus treatment and waive co-payment fees for COVID-19 testing.
For most people, COVID-19 only causes mild or moderate symptoms -- such as fever and cough. But for some, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness. According to the World Health Organization patients with a mild case of the virus usually recover in about two weeks. It could take between three and six weeks for those with a more severe illness to recover.