First case of novel coronavirus in Whatcom County confirmed by health department
Whatcom County has its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the Whatcom County Health Department announced on Tuesday afternoon, March 10.
The person is a woman in her 60s who received medical care at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center.
Her condition improved and she was discharged. Since that time she has been self-isolated at home. She has no known international travel history, the health department announced.
The Whatcom County Health Department said it was working aggressively to identify all those who may have come in contact with the woman, officials said.
Close contacts may include family members, co-workers, emergency responders and others. These people will be closely monitored for symptoms to avoid further spread of this virus, the health department said.
The people who have come into close contact will be monitored to avoid further spread of the virus.
“We understand that news of this first confirmed case in our community creates fear and uncertainty. Our public health team is working intensively to investigate the case, identify close contacts, and coordinate with our medical and community partners to protect public health,” said Dr. Greg Stern, Whatcom County Health Officer, in a statement.
“We are particularly thankful for the Whatcom County medical community, which has been in close communication with us about evaluating specific patients and implementing evolving guidelines,” Stern said.
On Tuesday, Skagit County also reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident there.
Skagit County Public Health said the person was a woman in her 40s who was in isolation at home, adding that she appeared to have acquired COVID-19 through community transmission.
More than 118,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 4,200 deaths as of noon Tuesday, March 10, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 800 confirmed cases with at least 28 deaths, 22 of them King County in Washington state.
About coronavirus
COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019, is the name of the illness that first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, before spreading to other countries, including the U.S. It is caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within 6 feet of each other — what’s referred to as close contact — especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s possible to catch COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it, and then touching your own face, “but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
Symptoms — cough, fever, difficulty breathing — may occur two days to two weeks after exposure. Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Stay informed
▪ https://whatcomcounty.us/ncov. Email general questions about COVID-19 in Whatcom County to covid@co.whatcom.wa.us.
▪ doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus. Call a hotline at 1-800-525-0127 and then press # for questions about what is happening in Washington state, how the virus spreads, and what to do if you have symptoms.
▪ cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
▪ cob.org/services/safety/emergencies/Pages/covid-19.aspx
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 2:37 PM.
