Coronavirus: At Least 33 Cases In North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, NC — The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in North Carolina has grown to at least 33, state public health officials said Monday.

Two weeks days have passed since North Carolina’s first case of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, was confirmed. No deaths in the state have been reported.

In Mecklenburg County, the number of confirmed cases has also jumped — to seven up from four over the weekend, according to county health officials.

Public health officials around the state acknowledge that current testing capabilities only tell part of the story.

As of Monday, state health officials had tested 329 people for COVID-19 in the state lab, and had supplies on hand to test 1,300 more, WSOC said.

In the Charlotte metro area, 259 tests are awaiting their test results, according to Mecklenburg County health officials.

“We really do not have the information we need to say what the total extent of the issue is in Mecklenburg County right now,” Gibbie Harris, health director of Mecklenburg County,
said Friday, the Charlotte Oberserver reported.

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Sunday, Mecklenburg County officials declared a state of emergency, less than a week after Gov. Roy Cooper made a statewide declaration.

Globally, more than 169,000 people have been infected and at least 6,513 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Monday morning. Of that total, nearly 3,774 cases have been confirmed in the United States.

As of Monday, March 16, there were officially 33 presumed positive cases of the new coronavirus in 14 counties in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Those counties include: Mecklenburg, Cabbarus, Forsyth, Durham, Chatham, Wake, Onslow, Brunsick, Craven, Wayne, Wilson, Harnett, Watauga, and Johnston.

By early afternoon, however, it was clear the tally was increasing across the state after Samson County reported its first presumptive positive case.

In Harnett County, a student at Campbell University also tested positive, the school announced Monday morning. It was not immediately clear if the announcement was reflected in the update statel-level totals provided by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the private university located in Buies Creek, North Carolina, the student showed symptoms on March 11, was tested and asked to remain in self-quarantine. The case was the third presumptive positive in Harnett County in a week. Late last week, the university joined other colleges throughout the state in cancelling in-person class and transitioned to online instruction beginning March 16 through April 5.

In Charlotte, a parent of a student at Charlotte Country Day school who had close contact with a small number of people at the school, including a teacher at the Cannon campus, has also tested positive, WBTV reported. According to the station, the teacher has not shown any symptoms and is now in self-quarantine.

SEE ALSO: Coronavirus Outbreak: Tips To Prepare At Home

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can cause mild to more severe respiratory illness. In a small proportion of patients, COVID-19 can cause death, particularly among those who are older or who have chronic medical conditions.

To lower the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus or spreading COVID-19, NCDHHS encourages the following behaviors:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds at a time.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Do not reuse tissue after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.

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