No New Coronavirus Cases in Wisconsin, 5 Await Test Results

(OnFocus) There are no additional cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus confirmed in Wisconsin, health officials stated on Friday.

Of the 14 people in Wisconsin who have come under investigation, 8 of those cases have come back negative and 5 are awaiting test results, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Those results are expected by the middle of next week.

One case of Coronavirus was confirmed Wednesday for a patient in Dane County with mild symptoms who is in stable condition. There are currently 12 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the United States.

Risk to the public for contracting the Coronavirus in Wisconsin remains low.

To meet the criteria for investigation, patients have displayed symptoms of the Coronavirus and have been in an area of China where they could have been exposed, or else have been exposed to a confirmed case, stated Traci DeSalvo, Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section Chief, Wisconsin DHS.

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, a new respiratory virus, was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

However, health officials emphasize that risk for the virus is determined by travel history and having close contact with someone with the Coronavirus, not ethnic background.

“Since this virus was first detected in China and China is working hard to control and respond to an actual widespread outbreak, there is a natural inclination for some people in our communities to assume it that it’s got something to do with people of that ethnicity, when it fact it all has to do with where it was first detected, which was that geographic location,” said Jeanne Ayers, State Health Officer and Administrator of the Division of Public Health.

Coronavirus symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, which may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after someone is exposed to the virus. Travelers returning from China or who have been in contact with a confirmed patient should inform their health care provider before arriving at the health care facility.

To prevent spread of the virus, Wisconsin residents can take the same precautions as for the cold and flu: wash hands frequently, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home when sick.

First Case of Coronavirus in Wisconsin Confirmed