Health department reports second Whatcom County woman tests positive for coronavirus
The Whatcom County Health Department reported the second lab-confirmed case of the novel coronavirus of a Whatcom County resident late Friday.
This case is a woman in her 40s who self-isolated after being notified that she was in close contact of a lab-confirmed positive case from another county, according to a Health Department press release.
The health department is conducting a follow-up investigation, the release stated, and is talking with the individual to find out more about where she was during the infectious period of the disease and whom she may have contacted.
The Health Department says it will directly contact with individuals who are identified as having been in close contact with the person and provide direction on how they can protect their health and that of the wider community.
Close contacts are considered those who come within 6 feet of the individual for more than 10 minutes, according to the release.
COVID-19 in Whatcom County
Whatcom County confirmed its first case of novel coronavirus Tuesday, March 12. The county declared a public health emergency that same day.
The first person who tested positive locally is a woman in her 60s who received medical care at St. Joseph hospital. Her condition improved, she was discharged and has been self-isolating at home. She has no known international travel history, the Whatcom County Health Department said.
On Thursday, the Lummi Indian Business Council announced in a release that one of its employees, who lives in King County, tested positive for COVID-19. The Lummi public health team took steps to identify close contacts and instructed them to self-quarantine and is working with King and Whatcom county officials to track any individuals who may be affected.
Earlier Friday, the Health Department and the Lummi Public Health Department announced that people who were at the Silver Reef Casino Buffet on Tuesday, March 10, may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus if they were close enough to someone who has tested positive for the illness. There was potential exposure to the public from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on that day, according to a joint news release from the Lummi Indian Business Council and the Whatcom County Health Department.
Also Friday, Western Washington University announced that a construction worker helping to build a new residence hall has tested positive for COVID-19. The contract worker, who lives in Snohomish County, had been commuting to Bellingham to work at the construction site. The worker is in self-isolation at home, as are three WWU employees who regularly interacted with workers at the site, according to a university release.
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.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 6:41 PM.
