3 Have New Coronavirus; MD Governor Declares State Of Emergency

MARYLAND — Three Montgomery County residents have tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to Gov. Larry Hogan. These are the first cases of the novel coronavirus confirmed in Maryland.

"The patients, who contracted the virus while traveling overseas, are in good condition," Hogan said in a statement, adding that authorities were looking into their activities prior to diagnosis.

"While today's news may seem overwhelming, this is not a reason to panic," Hogan said at a news conference Thursday night. "Marylanders should go to work or go to school just as they normally do. At the same time, I want to continue to remind everyone to prepare themselves and to continue to stay informed."

He declared a state of emergency in Maryland, directing the Maryland Department of Health and Maryland Emergency Management Agency to "ramp up" coordination among state and local agencies and "fast-track" the state's response to the illness.

Those who tested positive for the new coronavirus were not identified other than as three Montgomery County residents who live in two different households. One is a woman in her 50s and the others are a married man and woman in their 70s.

They were "mild to moderately ill" from the new coronavirus, according to Fran Phillips, Maryland's deputy health secretary.

The three were on the same overseas trip, from which they returned home Feb. 20, she said. To respect their confidentiality, Phillips did not specify where they traveled.

The state was notified Tuesday night through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the individuals may have been exposed to the new coronavirus on their trip. State health officials reached out to the three, who took themselves to a hospital for testing Wednesday, according to Phillips. The testing laboratory in Baltimore confirmed the three had the illness Thursday.

Now a "very thorough investigation" is underway into their activities and "comings and goings," Phillips said. The federal government, Montgomery County Health Department and state health officials are looking at what happened during the period of time between when they returned from their trip and experienced flu-like symptoms, according to Phillips, who described the individuals as very cooperative.

All three are improving, according to Phillips, who stated Thursday night: "Their symptoms are abating." They are not leaving their homes as they recover from the illness, she said.

"At this point, these are travel-related cases rather than community-acquired," Phillips said. "Now that's not to say we won't have that occur," she continued, but "unlike other states," there have not been any "cases of community transmission here in Maryland."

See Also:

• MD Coronavirus: Governor Asks For $50M To Ramp Up Response
• Maryland Can Now Provide Testing For The New Coronavirus
• MD Coronavirus: Health Officials Offer Tips For Staying Safe

Globally, more than 97,000 people have been infected and over 3,300 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported as of Thursday night. More than 80,000 cases of the new coronavirus are in China. The United States has had more than 220 confirmed cases to date and 12 deaths from the new coronavirus, the data show.

The new coronavirus was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

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

People that have symptoms such as a high fever, cough and difficulty breathing should call their health care provider to get advice if they are concerned, according to Phillips.

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The family of illnesses known as coronaviruses includes the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

Those with chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and cancer appear to be at higher risk of infection.

The new coronavirus spreads between those closer than 6 feet apart through respiratory droplets when a person who is infected coughs or sneezes and the droplets get into the mouths or noses of others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maryland health officials recommend hand washing as a way to protect against the spread of viruses in general, including influenza and the new coronavirus. People should also keep their hands away from their eyes and mouth; stay home when sick; and cough or sneeze into a tissue.

People can visit health.maryland.com/coronavirus for information about the new coronavirus in Maryland or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's coronavirus disease situation summary for additional information and resources.