1st Coronavirus Case Confirmed At Children's Healthcare Of ATL

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has confirmed that one patient is in isolation due to coronavirus, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday.

"Children’s Healthcare confirmed the hospital has one COVID-19 patient in isolation but declined to provide any details citing federal privacy laws," the paper reported. "The AJC is not identifying the child’s last name and limiting identifying details to protect the family’s privacy."

The 12-year-old child's cousin told the paper that the girl tested positive for coronavirus on Friday night. She had a fever that wouldn't break for several days, and went to the emergency room before being admitted to Scottish Rite on March 15, the AJC said. Initially, the hospital thought she had pneumonia, but she got worse and had to be placed on a ventilator.

Her family isn't sure how the girl got it, but they are in isolation with her and her 12-year-old brother is in isolation at home.

Children's is allowing only two visitors, who must be family members, to visit a patient.

"If a family member or visitor is sick, we ask that they not visit their loved one in the hospital," the hospital said. "Ill visitors will not be allowed in our facilities until they are symptom-free for 24 hours."

Reported symptoms of coronavirus have ranged from very mild to severe and even fatal. Most coronavirus infections in healthy children are mild and do not require hospital care.

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Children's said signs of coronavirus in children can include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath from continued coughing
• Refusing liquids with decreased urine frequency
• Crying without ability to be consoled
• Fever that is not responsive to fever-reducing medications
• Behavior that is not normal for your child

When should my child see a doctor?

Most children with COVID-19 infections have mild symptoms and do not require hospital care. If your child has concerning symptoms, call your doctor or pediatrician to discuss next steps before going to a hospital, Emergency Department or urgent care. We need to direct your arrival into our facility to avoid exposures.

If your child is in respiratory distress, call 911 or bring them to the closest emergency room.

Can I bring my child to Children's to get tested?

Currently, diagnostic testing for COVID-19 infections is performed at the discretion of the Georgia Department of Public Health and CDC only. Children's is not performing testing for COVID-19 infections.

The number of confirmed and presumed positive cases of COVID-19 rose from 420 positive cases in the state, with 14 deaths, on Friday, to 555 cases and 20 deaths Saturday night.

Fulton County has the most cases in the state with 99, followed by Bartow with 56, Cobb County with 50, Dougherty with 47, DeKalb with 41, Gwinnett with 23, Cherokee with 17, Carroll and Lee with 14, Clayton with 13, Richmond with 10, and Clarke, Fayette and Hall with nine.

Globally, more than 315,000 people have been infected and more than 13,500 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Sunday morning. Of that total, more than 26,700 confirmed cases are in the United States. There have been 340 deaths in the U.S. have been tied to the virus outbreak, as of Sunday morning.