Coronavirus In Kane County: 1st Case Confirmed

KANE COUNTY, IL — Kane County has its first confirmed case of coronavirus. The news was first publicly announced by Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen at a county board meeting Tuesday, according to the Kane County website.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker told Lauzen of the case on Monday, but did not provide additional details about where the Kane County coronavirus patient was hospitalized, Kane County Connects reports. In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Pritzker said the Kane County case is a woman in her 60s who has "not had close contact with any known [coronavirus] case" or a travel history in affected areas.

The patient is in isolation and "doing well," Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said during the press conference.

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At the meeting, Lauzen emphasized being proactive. "The sooner you know there's a problem, the sooner you can tackle it," he said.

On Monday, Pritzker declared a statewide disaster after the 11th case of coronavirus was confirmed in Illinois. Four of those cases were announced just yesterday.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain of the virus that causes COVID-19, called SARS-Cov-2, emerged in China in late 2019 and is related to other strains that have caused serious illnesses in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, some of these preventive measures include:

• Staying home when ill
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue
• Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Using hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol
• Avoiding touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoiding close contact with sick people
• Cleaning surfaces and objects that are touched frequently

If you feel sick and worry you may have been exposed to coronavirus, you can contact the Coronavirus Disease Hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or your health care provider unless you are experiencing an urgent, serious medical emergency.

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