20 Burlington County Residents Possibly Exposed To Coronavirus

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Twenty Burlington County residents have been sequestered due to potential exposure to coronavirus, according to a spokesperson for the county.

All 20 had recently traveled to China or were on a cruise, and were required by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to be quarantined for 14 days, according to Burlington County Spokesman Nicholas Gangemi.

Five remained quarantined as of Friday afternoon, Gangemi said. The Burlington County Health Department checks in with the residents twice a day.

On Friday, the first presumptive case of coronavirus was confirmed in Camden County. A man in his 60s has been hospitalized in stable condition at Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital. Read more here: First Presumptive Case Of Coronavirus Reported In South Jersey

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Officials reminded residents the best way to prevent the spread of coronavirus is to practice good personal hygiene and follow these tips:

• Wash your hands thoroughly, and often, with soap and water for 20 seconds;
• Stay home when you're sick;
• Avoid contact with others who are sick;
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue; and
• Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.

The New Jersey Department of Health has partnered with the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System to open and operate a call center (1-800-222-1222) for public use regarding questions, concerns, and other information related to coronavirus spread in New Jersey. More information is also available on the state's coronavirus webpage.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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.