Second, Third positive COVID-19 cases identified in Tarrant County

March 13, 2020 (Tarrant County, TX) – Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) has identified a second and third presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in Tarrant County.  The second case had traveled from Europe where exposure had occurred and is not related to the county’s first COVID-19 case. The third case is a contact of a Collin County case who is a Tarrant County resident. This third case indicates limited local transmission in the DFW area.

“Because of HIPAA laws regarding the confidentiality of health information, we are not allowed to provide specific details about the patient,” said Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja.  “We are tracing people who may have been exposed during interaction with this person. TCPH’s operations center is monitoring the situation, and continues to work with the CDC, DSHS and our other community partners,” he said.  

Tarrant County Public Health’s North Texas Regional Laboratory identified this case as part of recently expanded testing.  The lab serves Tarrant and 33 other counties in this region. COVID-19 causes respiratory illness with cough, fever, and shortness of breath, and may lead to bronchitis and severe pneumonia. Though more than 5,000 people worldwide have died as a result of the virus, nearly 70,000 have recovered.

While this is only the second case in Tarrant County, these basic preventative measures can help protect people from this and other respiratory viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  
• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.  If you experience difficulty breathing, or persistent fever, call your primary care provider.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve.
• Frequently clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces.

COVID-19 originated in Wuhan City, China in December 2019 and has now spread to more than 100 countries.

For more information visit coronavirus.tarrantcounty.com or call 817-248-6299 during business hours.

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