Coronavirus tests now available in North Carolina, which has its first confirmed case
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Testing for the coronavirus is now available in North Carolina, and one person in the state has tested positive for the virus, officials said Tuesday.
The N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health is able to administer tests for the virus amid the state’s preparations for the spread of the illness, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
This will allow for a quicker response to any positive results, the release says.
“Testing is already underway in our state lab and that means we get results faster,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in the release. “Our public health leaders have been working around the clock to ensure that we are prepared.”
A person from Wake County tested positive for the virus, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper’s office announced Tuesday. The person was exposed at a long-term care facility in Washington state, officials said.
The case is “presumptively positive” but is still waiting on confirmation from the CDC, the governor’s office said.
There have been more than 100 confirmed cases and six deaths reported in the United States as of Monday, McClatchy News reported.
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Worldwide there have been more than 92,000 cases, and more than 3,100 people have died, including six in the United States.
Health officials have warned that Americans should be ready for the possibility of “widespread COVID-19” in the country, the release says.
Last month, Gov. Cooper created the COVID-19 Task Force to coordinate the state’s response, according to the release.
People who meet criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a “person under investigation” for the virus will be able to be tested in North Carolina, the release says.
Test results from the state lab will need to be confirmed by the CDC, but a “presumptive positive” test in the state will “initiate an immediate public health response” from health officials while they awaitCDC confirmation, the release says.
The test kit used in North Carolina was developed by the CDC and authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration,” the release says.
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Commercial and private labs may soon be able to test for the virus as well, the release says. Any health care provider or lab that tests for it in North Carolina must inform the state Department of Health and Human Services so a response can be coordinated in the case of a positive result.
To protect yourself from the disease, the CDC recommends avoiding people who are sick and staying home when sick. It’s also important to avoid touching your face and to wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds.
Those who aren’t sick shouldn’t wear a face mask, the CDC says, but those with symptoms should wear one to prevent spreading the virus to others.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Coronavirus tests now available in North Carolina, which has its first confirmed case."
