Coronavirus In MA: Man Diagnosed After Boston Trip

A man diagnosed with the first case of coronavirus in Tennessee fell ill after a trip to Boston. The man recently traveled on nonstop, round-trip flights between Nashville International Airport and Boston Logan Airport, the Tennessee Department of Health said.

The man did not show symptoms during the trip, and health officials did not say how it is believed he contracted the virus. He has a "mild illness" and is isolated at his home in Williamson County, TN.

The man is an employee of biotechnology firm Biogen, Boston 25 reported. Two other Biogen employees, both from Europe, tested positive for the coronavirus following a meeting in Boston last week, a spokesperson for the firm told the network.

Massachusetts has begun testing patients for the new coronavirus under the guidance of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Feb. 28, clinicians who have patients they think may have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and who fall under the CDC definition of a Person Under Investigation, may contact the Department of Public Health and receive authorization to submit samples for testing.

Testing at the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory will speed up test results and expedite ongoing testing of any confirmed case in recovery, the state said.

Numbers released Wednesday showed one confirmed coronavirus case, one presumptive positive case, 719 people subject to quarantine, 417 who have completed monitoring and are no longer in quarantine and 249 who are currently undergoing monitoring and are under quarantine. The Department of Public Health updates its numbers every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Officials on Thursday announced a second presumptive positive case, a Middlesex County woman in her 60s, who became symptomatic after returning from a trip to Europe that included a stop in northern Italy.

While the risk of contracting the coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts, state officials this week focused on curbing international travel, particularly by school groups. Gov. Charlie Baker urged colleges, universities and high schools to cancel upcoming organized international trips.

"Taking this precaution will help protect these students and the Commonwealth, as we are home to such a large number of colleges and universities," Baker said after a meeting at the State House with university and other officials.

How Schools Are Responding

A charter school in Malden, which had scheduled days off on Monday and Tuesday next week, canceled school for the remainder of the week amid coronavirus concerns. Students in Plymouth, Newton and Tewksbury were asked to stay home after returning from school trips to Italy, and a Beverly school employee who traveled abroad agreed to self-quarantine.

Meanwhile, schools are ramping up cleaning efforts and re-evaluating future trips and exchange programs abroad. School officials in Melrose said Thursday they are assessing whether to send students on a scheduled April trip to Germany, where there are 240 reported cases of coronavirus. Brookline and Newton postponed their exchange programs to China earlier this year.

Bentley University canceled its college-run spring break programs in Europe and Africa, while Assumption College in Worcester closed its campus in Rome and brought students and staff home.

Public Transit Scrubbed

The MBTA joined public transit agencies across the country this week in stepping up cleaning efforts to help stifle the spread of the coronavirus. MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said Wednesday that new protocols to clean subway trains and buses should be in place by the end of the week. Keolis, the company that operates the Commuter Rail, confirmed that each train set will be disinfected daily.

"We're going to put a protocol in place where each of our stations, all the contact areas where people are touching, for instance, guard rails, handrails, fare equipment, will be cleaned every four hours," Poftak said of the Boston-area subway and bus system.

Massachusetts has not seen a widespread coronavirus outbreak. The state Department of Public Health this week confirmed a new "presumptive" coronavirus case in a Norfolk County woman. That comes after a UMass Boston student in his 20s became the state's first confirmed infection in early February.

Although it's not widely understood how the coronavirus spreads, most viruses can live on surfaces. More common illnesses like norovirus, influenza, and the common cold spread when people touch contaminated surfaces, and then touch their face or mouth.

Prevention

COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets, the same way that other common seasonal illnesses such as the flu are transmitted. For this reason, officials are encouraging all residents to take the same steps they normally would during flu season, especially washing hands thoroughly and often, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Other steps include:

• Get a flu shot, and encourage those around you to do the same. While this will not help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, it is an effective tool to keep people with the flu from developing complications that require hospitalization.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than a hand or the air.
• Stay home from school or work if sick.
• Keep surfaces, especially bedside tables, bathrooms and children's toys clean by wiping them down with disinfectant.
• Get plenty of sleep, by physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods to maintain good health.

The CDC does not recommend that otherwise healthy people wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory viruses, including the new coronavirus. Only wear a mask if a healthcare provider instructs you to do so, the Department of Health said. Those with symptoms are asked to wear a mask to help prevent spreading the disease to others.