The Orange County Health Department is informing the public that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed five cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the United States. The patients recently returned from Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, where an outbreak of illness caused by this novel coronavirus has been ongoing since December 2019.
There are no confirmed cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in North Carolina at the time of this press release.
Symptoms of the virus include fever and lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough, difficulty breathing). The illness can be more serious for individuals with a weakened immune system, the elderly, or those with underlying respiratory problems.
On January 17, 2020, the CDC began implementing public health entry screening at San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK), Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD) and Los Angeles (LAX) airports.
If you traveled to China in the last 14 days and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, you should:
- Seek medical care right away. Before you go to visit your medical provider, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
- Avoid contact with others.
- Avoid non-essential 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.
All Orange County medical personnel and first responders have been informed about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus and have put in place a protocol to ensure the public’s safety, should Orange County encounter a case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
For more information about the current outbreak in China, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/novel-coronavirus-2019.html
Please visit the Orange County Health Department’s Coronavirus page for FAQ’s in multiple languages: https://www.orangecountync.gov/coronavirus.
Contact: Kristin Prelipp, Communications Manager and Public Information Officer
kprelipp@orangecountync.gov or (919) 245-2462