'Presumptive Positive Case' Of COVID-19 Confirmed Near Houston
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM) - For the first time since the coronavirus outbreak began, Texas is facing its first likely case not at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
Fort Bend County Health and Human Services says a man in his 70s recently traveled outside of the U.S. and is now getting treated in a hospital.
Stafford, Texas officials later confirmed the man is from their city.
The test was performed at the public health lab in Houston and will be confirmed by testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At a news conference Wednesday evening, Dr. Jacquelyn Johnson Minter, Fort Bend County's Health and Human Services Director, said the Houston Health Department, at whose laboratory the patient was tested, notified her about 4:00 p.m. Wednesday of the presumptive positive test result.
"As this case was associated with travel, at this time we still have no evidence of community spread" of the virus, she said.
The man has been hospitalized under isolation and was in stable condition, Minter said.
Minter declined to identify the patient, where he had traveled and at what hospital he was under treatment, but she said investigators were still in the process of tracing what human contacts the patient had.
Dr. David Persse, Health Authority of the Houston Health Department, said that although the positive test results were still presumptive, they were actionable.
Health officials in Fort Bend County are trying to track down people who may have been exposed to the man.
"This presumptive case is actionable and we are treating it as a positive," Fort Bend County health officials said in a release. "Fort Bend County Health & Human Services has started an epidemiological investigation and is leading the effort to quickly identify close contacts with the individual. Close contacts may include family members, co-workers, emergency responders, and other contacts."
"We are working around the clock with all local, regional, and statewide health authorities to monitor the situation and update the public," said Fort Bend County Judge KP George in a news release on Wednesday.
The Texas Department of State Health Services is supporting Fort Bend County in identifying any close contacts of the patient while he was sick so they can be isolated and monitored for symptoms and quickly tested, if needed.
"Having a COVID-19 case in Texas is a significant development in this outbreak, but it doesn't change the fact that the immediate risk to most Texans is low," said Dr. John Hellerstedt, DSHS commissioner. "This travel-related case reinforces the fact that we should all be taking basic hygiene steps that are extremely effective in limiting limit the spread of COVID-19 and all respiratory illnesses."
Human coronaviruses like the one that causes COVID-19 are most commonly spread through coughing and sneezing, personal contact like shaking hands, and touching a surface with the virus and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
There are simple steps everyone can take to help prevent spreading them:
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.
"Over the past month, the state of Texas has been preparing for this moment, and we are confident in the steps we have taken to safeguard our communities against the coronavirus," said Governor Greg Abbott. "We anticipated this situation, we have protocols in place, and our state agencies and personnel are trained and ready to respond. The state of Texas remains in contact with our federal and local partners, and we will continue to work together to ensure Texas communities have the resources they need to respond to any additional cases of the coronavirus. Our top priority is public health and safety, and I urge all Texans to follow the preventative guidelines provided by the Department of State Health Services."
