Note This story was last updated at 11 p.m.
Two more cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus, have been diagnosed in Tennessee, bringing the total number of cases to three, the Tennessee Department of Health said Sunday.
The health department said it was announcing the two new cases in coordination with two metro health departments in Nashville and Shelby County.
The Tennessean newspaper reported that the Nashville patient is an adult woman who is cooperating with a voluntary self-isolation at home in Davidson County, and state health officials are trying to determine how she was infected. The Shelby County patient is a non-elderly adult who recently traveled to another state and is now hospitalized.
The new coronavirus, COVID-19, was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December, but it has since spread worldwide to more than 100 countries. It has led to drastic measures across the globe, including quarantines of millions of people and closures of many schools, as officials try to contain or mitigate the virus. More than 100,000 people have been infected, mostly in China, and more than 3,500 have died.
CNN reported Sunday night that there are now more than 500 coronavirus cases in the United States, including 34 states, the District of Columbia, and repatriated citizens and those still on cruise ships. Twenty-one people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S., CNN said.
The first case in Tennessee was diagnosed Wednesday night in Williamson County, where a 44-year-old man is quarantined at home with mild symptoms. That man may have contracted the virus while traveling to Boston, The Tennessean reported.
The Tennessee Department of Health said its State Public Health Laboratory has the ability to test for the virus causing COVID-19.
Most cases of the coronavirus illness, about 80 percent, are reported to be mild, mostly involving fever, cough, and possibly shortness of breath. But some lead to severe symptoms, require hospitalization, or result in death. Coronavirus is reported to have a higher death rate than the flu, and it is reported to be most dangerous to the elderly and people with underlying health conditions. Medical experts have advised people to wash their hands, stay home if they get sick, and avoid air travel and large crowds if they are sick.
The Tennessee health department said it activated the State Health Operations Center on January 16, and staff are closely monitoring the evolving global and domestic situation.
“Hundreds of public health staff across the state are working on COVID-19 preparedness and response activities,” the TDH said. “TDH will continue to work closely with CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), other state agencies, and metro/regional health departments to protect the people of Tennessee.”
Ongoing TDH activities include:
- Case investigation, contact tracing, monitoring of close contacts associated with case.
- Guidance document development and dissemination (facility visitor guidance, TDH COVID-19 web page, stakeholder briefings, media briefing on March 5).
- Consultation with clinicians statewide regarding COVID-19 testing of patients.
- Public health monitoring of healthy returning travelers (from China).
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
- Wash your hands often with soap and water (or alcohol-based hand rub) for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with your arm or a tissue.
- Clean and disinfect objects (i.e. cell phone, computer) and high-touch surfaces regularly.
The new coronavirus was reported after Chinese health authorities identified an outbreak of pneumonia associated with a novel, or new, coronavirus in December 2019. The result has resulted in thousands of confirmed cases in China, and it has since spread around the world, including to the United States.
The CDC has reported 164 cases in 19 states with 11 deaths, although it’s not clear if that is the most accurate and up-to-date count.
There are ongoing investigations to learn more, the Tennessee Department of Health said. Click here to access the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 webpage for the most up to date information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.
A COVID-19 public information number, (877) 857-2945, is available 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Central time daily.
Learn more about COVID-19 on this Tennessee Department of Health page. See the CDC page here.
A TDH weekly situation summary includes links to guidance updates from the CDC.
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