Tarrant County Confirms Its First Presumptive Positive COVID-19 Case
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Tarrant County Public Health has identified the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a Tarrant County resident.
The patient had traveled to a conference in Kentucky in late February.
The health department did not give the patient's age, but said "the individual is currently in insolation at a local Fort Worth hospital and is being closely monitored by health care staff. TCPH will await further testing to confirm the initial presumptive positive results and proceed with the next steps per CDC guidelines."
Health officials with TCPH are working to identify any contacts who may have been exposed while he/she was contagious, and schedule necessary tests. Anyone identified to have had close contact with the patient will be contacted directly by TCPH and health care staff.
The immediate risk of transmission in Tarrant County and specifically the City of Fort Worth remains low. The City of Fort Worth continues to implement preparedness and precautionary efforts to ensure the health and well-being of all residents and city employees.
At this time the residents of Fort Worth are urged to continue their preventative measures of hand washing and disinfecting surfaces through The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness in general is to avoid being exposed to the virus. The symptoms for COVID-19 range from mild to severe but include fever, cough and/or shortness of breath. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.
The Tarrant County Public Health lab identified this case as part of recently expanded testing.
Tarrant County's lab serves Tarrant and 33 other counties in this region.
Dallas County also reported its first presumptive positive case of coronavirus on Tuesday.
COVID-19 causes respiratory illness with fever and cough and may lead to bronchitis and severe pneumonia.
While community transmission has not been detected, people should follow basic preventative measures as for any respiratory virus, which includes:
- 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. If you experience difficulty breathing, or persistent fever, call your primary care provider.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve.
- Frequently clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces.
COVID-19 originated in Wuhan City, China in December 2019 and has now spread to more than 100 countries.
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