Andover Coronavirus: Town Reports Second Confirmed Case

ANDOVER, MA — Andover has a second positive case of the new coronavirus, the town announced Saturday. The resident was tested by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The patient is isolated, and "all contacts needing follow up are receiving appropriate support," the town said.

Due to privacy laws, the town cannot share any other information on the resident's identity or location. The town noted that more confirmed tests are expected as testing increases:

"As these cases are identified, local public health officials in the area will be in contact with those persons to ensure that they are receiving appropriate care, and that any contacts are monitored," the town said. "It is important to note that we expect new cases to be reported as this situation continues. Please remember that most cases recover at home and once they have recovered, they will no longer be under isolation restrictions."

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include 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). 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 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.