Braintree Coronavirus: Resident Tests Positive

BRAINTREE, MA — A Braintree resident has tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the town's health department.

The case received a presumptive positive test from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and was later confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This was the first Braintree resident to test positive for COVID-19.

Officials with the Braintree Health Department said they have been in constant contact with the resident, who has been in isolation since receiving their test results. Town health officials confirmed the resident did not have children enrolled in the Braintree Public School District.

"The Braintree Health Department remains in daily communication with DPH as the situation regarding COVID-19 evolves and is working directly with Mayor Charles C. Kokoros and members of the town's leadership team to take the necessary steps to slow the spread and transmission of the virus in the Braintree Community," Braintree Health Department officials said in astatement.

Any residents that have questions are asked to call Jean McGinty, the public health nurse, at 781-794-8094, or Health Director Marybeth McGrath at 781-794-8095.

More on Coronavirus

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, 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.

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The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now being transmitted 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 Prevention, the best way of to prevent the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and 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 if you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.