Wilmington Coronavirus: Fourth Case, Eight In Quarantine

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington has four positive cases of the new coronavirus, the health department said Tuesday evening. Eight people are in quarantine. The town's first cases were reported Monday.

"The driving force behind passing this virus on to others is when you are actively symptomatic," the department said on Facebook. "Spreading through respiratory droplets (coughing, sneezing, etc.) This is why it is so important to social distance yourself while you are feeling sick. Isolate yourselves."

>>Wilmington Coronavirus: First Positive Coronavirus Cases

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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. 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.

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