First GA Coronavirus Patients Are Father And Son: Authorities

ATLANTA, GA — Since word from Georgia authorities came late Monday that the state has its first two cases of the new coronavirus, residents have sought more information. Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday night that the patients live in Fulton County. In an update on the cases given Tuesday by Fulton County Board of Health Director Elizabeth Ford, she said a man who had been in Milan, Italy, and his son are the two people who tested positive for the Covid-19, as the virus which originated in Wuhan, China, is also known.

The 56-year-old Fulton County man was traveling home on Feb. 22 from Milan and didn’t show symptoms for several days, reports WSB. Later, his son also tested positive for Covid-19. The father and son both saw a private doctor and also were tested by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the news station.

The man's spouse and another child in the family are being tested, too. Ford said the children are home-schooled.

Both of the affected patients are in the same home under self-quarantine, said Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey in Monday night's news conference.

Doctors are communicating with them daily, monitoring their health and before they're released to the public more tests will have to be taken, she said.

Toomey says the state's lab now has what it needs to begin testing on its own later this week, which would cut the testing time for new coronavirus from days to just hours, WSB reported. In the past week, only the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta has been able to administer the test.

Nine people have died from the coronavirus in Washington state. Officials said four deaths and eight COVID-19 infections were among patients who were residents at a senior housing facility.

Globally, more than 92,000 people have been infected and over 3,200 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Tuesday afternoon. Of that total, more than 80,000 cases are in China, while the entire United States has 117 confirmed cases to date.

It's caused by a member of the coronavirus that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses.

Background:

COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when someone coughs or sneezes. These droplets may land on objects and surfaces. Other people may contract the virus by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure. Most people recover from the COVID-19 without needing special treatment. The elderly and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness, the health department said.

Symptoms are fever, cough, difficulty breathing and pneumonia, resulting in anything from mild respiratory issues to death.

Those who are at risk have recently traveled to China; have close, personal contact with recent travelers to China; have close, personal contact with one who has been diagnosed with the new coronavirus; or care for those who have the new coronavirus, according to health officials.
Public Health Guidance On Virus Prevention:

• Do not go to an emergency room unless absolutely essential. Those with symptoms including a cough, fever, or other respiratory issues are advised to contact their regular doctor first.
• If you are sick, stay home.
• Commit to excellent personal hygiene, including regular handwashing and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Monitor the latest information on COVID-19 in Georgia and across the United States:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Georgia Department of Public Health

Coronavirus expected to spread

President Donald Trump spoke about the coronavirus outbreak Saturday, urging Americans not to panic, saying, "If you are healthy, you will probably go through a process and you'll be fine," Politico reported.
Also Saturday, the White House imposed new travel restrictions, elevating travel warnings to regions of Italy and South Korea and banning travel to Iran.

The virus has been spreading so quickly overseas that infectious disease experts and scientists warn there may be no way to contain it.

Last week, a top official at the CDC said during a news conference it's only a matter of time before the new coronavirus spreads to communities across the United States. Communities, schools and businesses should begin preparing now for "the expectation that this could be bad," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease.

What is the new coronavirus?

The symptoms of the new coronavirus are similar to seasonal influenza, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Both are infectious respiratory illnesses, but they're caused by different viruses.

Both cause fever, cough, body aches and fatigue, and both can result in pneumonia. Both illnesses can sometimes cause vomiting and diarrhea and can be spread from person to person by sneezing, coughing or talking.

Common good-health practices such as frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and staying home from work or school if sick, can help control both illnesses.

Neither respond to antibiotic treatment, but both may be treated by addressing symptoms, such as reducing fever.

There is no vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus as there is against influenza. Scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine for the new coronavirus, although none currently exists.

Related:

• Coronavirus: Atlanta Public Schools Plan For Potential Outbreak
• Coronavirus: DeKalb County Schools Plan For Potential Outbreak
• Coronavirus: Cobb County Schools Plan For Potential Outbreak
• Coronavirus: Cherokee County Schools Plan For Potential Outbreak
• Coronavirus: Forsyth County Schools Plan For Potential Outbreak
• Coronavirus: Fulton County Schools Plan For Potential Outbreak