niman Posted February 1, 2020 Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 nCoV was confirmed Friday night in Boston ex-Wuhan patient. https://www.wcvb.com/article/first-case-of-wuhan-coronavirus-confirmed-in-boston-man-massachusetts-health-officials-say/30737921# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted February 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 BOSTON — Officials with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed the first case of the Wuhan coronavirus in the state Saturday. Health officials said a Boston man in his 20s is confirmed to have the virus after he recently traveled to Wuhan, China. The DPH and the Boston Public Health Commission were notified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the positive test results late Friday evening. The man sought medical care soon after his return to Massachusetts, according to officials. He has been isolated since that time and will continue to remain isolated until he is cleared by public health officials. “We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately,’’ said Dr. Monica Bharel, Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner. "Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly. Again, the risk to the public from the 2019 novel coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts.” Officials said his few close contacts have been identified and are being monitored for any sign of symptoms. “Our priority is not only to protect and inform the residents of Boston, but also to help this man continue to recover. We are pleased that he is doing well,” said BPHC Executive Director Rita Nieves. “Right now, we are not asking Boston residents to do anything differently. The risk to the general public remains low. And we continue to be confident we are in a good position to respond to this developing situation.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted February 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 PRESS RELEASE Press Release Man returning from Wuhan, China is first case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus confirmed in Massachusetts FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2/01/2020 Department of Public Health BOSTON — The first case of the 2019 novel coronavirus in Massachusetts has been confirmed in a man returning from Wuhan, China who is in his 20s and lives in Boston. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) were notified by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the positive test results late Friday evening. This is the eighth case of infection with 2019 novel coronavirus reported in the United States. The risk to the public from the 2019 novel coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts. The man recently traveled to Wuhan, China, and sought medical care soon after his return to Massachusetts. He has been isolated since that time and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. His few close contacts have been identified and are being monitored for any sign of symptoms. “We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately,’’ said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD. MPH. ``Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly. Again, the risk to the public from the 2019 novel coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts.” “Our priority is not only to protect and inform the residents of Boston but also to help this man continue to recover. We are pleased that he is doing well,” said BPHC Executive Director Rita Nieves. “Right now, we are not asking Boston residents to do anything differently. The risk to the general public remains low. And we continue to be confident we are in a good position to respond to this developing situation.” DPH and BPHC continue to work closely with the CDC to maintain vigilance during this virus outbreak. The novel coronavirus has resulted in thousands of confirmed human infections in more than 20 countries, with more than 99 percent of cases in China. To date, eight cases have been confirmed in the US: three people in California, two in Illinois and one individual each in Massachusetts, Washington State, and Arizona. On Friday, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared the 2019 novel coronavirus a public health emergency and ordered any US citizens returning from the center of the outbreak in China to be quarantined for two weeks as a precaution. This followed a declaration Thursday by the World Health Organization that the coronavirus outbreak is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Also that day the CDC reported the first case of person-to-person transmission in Illinois between household members. Massachusetts state health officials, in conjunction with Massport, local health departments, and other medical partners, have responded to prevent the spread of the virus. Among the steps taken by the Department of Public Health: Established an Incident Command Structure to facilitate regular dissemination of information from federal and state partners to statewide stakeholders. Launched a new website that provides up-to-date information on the status of novel coronavirus for all residents: https://www.mass.gov/2019coronavirus. Developed and disseminated clinical advisories to all Massachusetts health care providers and issued guidance to hospitals, health systems, and Emergency Medical Services. Scheduled calls with other key health care partners including local boards of health. Coronaviruses are respiratory viruses and are generally spread through respiratory secretions (droplets from coughs and sneezes) of an infected person to another person. Symptoms of novel coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath, and, in severe cases, pneumonia (fluid in the lungs). Information about how this novel coronavirus spreads is still limited. Although the risk of the coronavirus to Massachusetts residents remains low, people are advised to take many of the same steps they do to help prevent colds and the flu, including: Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Cover coughs and sneezes. Stay home when feeling sick. Clinicians who see patients with recent travel in China, especially Hubei Province, who have a fever, lower respiratory tract symptoms (such as shortness of breath and cough), and/or contact with a known novel coronavirus patient, should contact DPH 24/7 at (617) 983-6800 for assistance. In Boston, providers should contact BPHC at 617-534-5611. The new DPH website provides relevant up-to-date information on the state of the novel coronavirus for all residents: mass.gov/2019coronavirus. Additional details and guidance regarding the novel coronavirus, is available from the CDC: 2019 Novel Coronavirus. https://www.mass.gov/news/man-returning-from-wuhan-china-is-first-case-of-2019-novel-coronavirus-confirmed-in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted February 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 Massachusetts’ First Case of New Coronavirus Diagnosed in Boston Student It's the eighth case in the United States amid an outbreak that has prompted public health emergency declarations around the world By Josh Sullivan and Asher Klein • Published 4 hours ago • Updated 24 mins ago A university student who recently traveled back to Boston from Wuhan, China, has been diagnosed as the first Massachusetts resident with the new coronavirus, state health officials said Saturday. It's the eighth diagnosis of the illness in the U.S. and the first on the East Coast. The man is in his 20s and lives in Boston, according to a news release from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. He sought medical soon after his return to Massachusetts and has been isolated since then. He is currently quarantined at his home and will continue to be isolated until he is cleared by public health officials, according to Saturday's news release. His "few close contacts" have been identified and are being monitored for any sign of symptoms. The risk to the public in Massachusetts still remains low, state and local public health officials said in a conference call Saturday. "We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately," said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel in the written statement Saturday. "Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly." UMass Boston confirmed in an email message to its community Saturday afternoon that a student had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That case was confirmed late Friday night, health officials said. The student returned from China on Jan. 28, and sought medical attention for a runny nose the following day. The same day he arrived back in Boston, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a plan to screen passengers arriving from China at 20 different airports—including Logan Airport. Those screenings did not happen because of a "timing" issue, however, health officials said in the call on Saturday. They said that the CDC did not manage to get staff to the airports quickly enough. American public health officials have cautioned that the flu remains more dangerous for people in the United States, and no one has died from the virus in the U.S. "People should take the same precautions they do to prevent the spread of the cold and flu, and [the Massachusetts Department of Public Health] will continue to work with medical professionals across the Commonwealth," Gov. Charlie Baker tweeted. But on Friday, the White House declared a public health emergency over the outbreak, which is centered in Wuhan, China. The country has seen 259 people die and over 11,000 infected so far. Travel restrictions to the U.S. were announced for some foreign nationals on Friday as well, with screening boosted at airports around the country, including Boston Logan International Airport. China has severely restricted internal travel as it attempts to stop the spread of the virus. The World Health Organization also declared a global health emergency over the outbreak. Prepare for Coronavirus Boston Mayor Marty Walsh addressed the illness to the public on Jan. 27. "We are in the best position to respond if the virus does spread" to Boston, Walsh said, noting its many world-class hospitals. The respiratory virus spreads through close face-to-face contact over time, not simply with casual contact, according to state and local health officials. He said that the Boston Public Health Commission set up an internal incident command system to quickly address any possible cases that arise and to advise local health care groups ahead of time on the best ways to prepare. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/first-reported-case-of-coronavirus-in-massachusetts/2070535/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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