What to Know
- A patient at Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, New Jersey is being treated for a “suspected case” of the novel coronavirus, Hackensack Meridian Health’s chief physician executive said
- A blood or respiratory sample from the patient will be tested by the CDC, according to the spokeswoman
- The patient is being kept in isolation with all safety protocols in effect, she noted
A patient at Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, New Jersey is being treated for a “suspected case” of the novel coronavirus, Hackensack Meridian Health’s chief physician executive said.
The hospital is treating the patient as if he or she has COVID-19, a spokeswoman told NBC 4 New York on Saturday.
A blood or respiratory sample from the patient will be tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the spokeswoman said.
The patient is being kept in isolation with all safety protocols in effect, she noted. It wasn’t immediately clear when the testing would take place.
Hackensack Meridian Health’s Chief Physician Executive Daniel W. Varga on Saturday said the hospital’s Infection Prevention team is working with New Jersey’s Department of Health to care for the patient, “in accordance with protocols provided by [the CDC],” adding that the patient has a “suspected case” of COVID-19.
“Please rest assured that our health care team is taking every precaution in caring for this isolated patient and determining an accurate diagnosis,” Varga said in the statement.
“We continue to screen patients with appropriate symptoms for travel history to China, Italy, Iran, Japan and South Korea,” he added.
A New York City resident who recently came back from a trip to Italy is currently being tested for COVID-19, according to officials.
After a sample was sent to Atlanta for testing on Thursday, it could be until well into the weekend before the city learns if it has its first confirmed case of the virus that the CDC says has killed more than 2,800 people worldwide.
The New Jersey Public Health Department said Friday that a lab in West Trenton had been approved to test for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont also said that a state lab will be able to conduct testing shortly.
In a teleconference, the CDC said the goal is to have testing available in all 50 states by the end of next week. When presses about which states and places have the capacity, the CDC would not give specifics citing the evolving situation.
So far in the tri-state, there have been no confirmed cases of the illness that has now been found on every continent except Antarctica.
———
Website source
Related posts:
- Public health expert warns virus not going away – KSAT San Antonio
- Tesla asks employees to resume production at Fremont car plant despite coronavirus health orders – CNBC
- Major health groups and charities urge Trump to reverse World Health Organization funding decision – CNN
- Public health officials push back on May opening | TheHill – The Hill
- Analysis | The Health 202: Los Angeles is racing to discover the true coronavirus infection rate – The Washington Post
- Some Public Health Officials Not Releasing Coronavirus Hospitalizations : Shots – Health News – NPR
- Covid-19 health-care crisis could drive new developments in robotics, editorial says – The Washington Post
- Lost Your Health Insurance During the COVID-19 Crisis? Here Are Your Options – The Motley Fool
- El Paso virus cases jump to 35 as health leaders warn of increased risk of ‘community spread’ – KVIA El Paso