SHORELINE, Wash. – Two new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the state of Washington, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
During a press conference from the Washington State Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratory on Friday, public health officials said the two cases were identified in a “school-aged person” and “a woman in her 50s.”
New Cases Diagnosed
The school-aged patient is believed to be a teenager who attends Jackson High School in Snohomish County. According to public health officials, the teen has not traveled to any foreign country affected by the coronavirus and is believed to not have had any contact with travelers from high-risk counties.
According to the health department, the teen was seen and treated at two clinics in the Snohomish County area before returning to school. The teen was sent home before they had contact with the majority of the student body after their test results came back positive.
Two students did have contact with the teen, and they, along with the teen, are now in self-quarantine. The high school will be closed on Monday and sanitized over the weekend as precaution.
Washington State Department of Health officials are also investigating and contacting any health care workers who may have had contact with the student during their treatment.
The second case is a “presumptive positive” in a woman in her 50s who recently returned from South Korea back to her home in King County. The woman reportedly also has not had widespread contact with the public.
According to public health officials, the woman went to work after returning from South Korea and began exhibiting infectious symptoms when she returned home from work that day. She did not seek treatment at a hospital and instead self-treated her mild symptoms at home.
She and her husband are now also in self-quarantine, and public health officials are investigating any workplace contact that could have occurred.
Preventing Infection
According to public health officials, the COVID-19 infection is believed to be spread by droplets expelled during a cough or sneeze. The virus is most contagious when symptoms are at their peak, but asymptomatic transmission can happen.
Washington State Department of Health officials say the COVID-19 infection is believed to cause mild symptoms in 80 percent of infected individuals, but it has the potential to cause severe symptoms.
In some individuals, the symptoms could be so mild that they wouldn’t suspect they’re infected. Health officials said with the availability to do more rapid testing in state, they will be able to test more people and possibly identify more cases of infected individuals.
To minimize your risk of contracting the COVID-19 infection, public health officials say to practice good hand washing techniques and to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth unless your hands are clean.
You are also asked to start thinking about what your family will do if schools begin closing across the state due to the virus. You should also ask your work about any options you may have to work from home.
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