7 New Coronavirus Tests Ordered In Maryland: Health Department

MARYLAND — Thirteen people in Maryland have been tested for the new coronavirus. Six tests so far have come up negative for the illness, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

Test results should be coming in more quickly now that the Maryland Department of Health labs in Baltimore have been approved to test for the new coronavirus, the governor's office reported Tuesday.

"Our highest priority is keeping Marylanders safe, and having the capability to test quickly for potential COVID-19 cases is an important part of that," Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement.

Seven people in Maryland are currently in the process of being tested for the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Those being evaluated for potential COVID-19 may be hospitalized with unexplained acute lower respiratory symptoms, criteria for testing which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added last week. Originally, the only people tested for the new coronavirus were those with clear symptoms of infection who had either traveled to a "geographic region of concern" or who had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus.

"The ability to test in our own facility in Baltimore is crucial," Maryland Health Secretary Robert R. Neall said in a statement, noting Maryland was working to minimize risk through rapid response efforts.

There are more than 92,300 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide and more than 100 in the United States as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins data.

There are no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Maryland, state health officials reported Tuesday.

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

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

The new coronavirus spreads between those closer than 6 feet apart through respiratory droplets when a person who is infected coughs or sneezes, 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.