March 10, 2020 (Tarrant County, TX) – Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) has identified the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a Tarrant County resident.  The case had traveled to a conference in Kentucky during late February.

“Because of the sensitive nature of this information, we are not allowed to provide specific information about the patient,” said Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja.

“We are interviewing household contacts and have identified places where this person has been and are reaching out to people possibly exposed.  The TCPH operations center is continuing to monitor the situation closely, working with the CDC, DSHS and other community partners,” he said.  

The Tarrant County Public Health lab identified this case as part of recently expanded testing.  Tarrant County’s lab serves Tarrant and 33 other counties in this region. COVID-19 causes respiratory illness with fever and cough and may lead to bronchitis and severe pneumonia.

While community transmission has not been detected, people should follow basic preventative measures as for any respiratory virus, which includes:

• 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 during business hours: 817-248-6299.

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