Patient and Medical Provider Effectively Avoided Exposing Others to the Virus
Wake County has learned today a resident tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 at a private laboratory following a visit to the doctor’s office. This brings the total number of presumptive positive test results in Wake County to eight.
Through contact tracing, Wake County has determined the person did not come into close contact with anyone, and there is little risk the person exposed others to the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines “close contact” as being within six feet of the patient for 10 minutes or more.
“The doctor’s office and the patient handled this situation very well,” Wake County Medical Director Dr. Kim McDonald said. “The patient wore a mask and was kept away from other patients during the visit, and the medical staff wore the proper personal protective equipment.”
The person began feeling ill early in the morning on Tuesday, March 10, and visited a private medical provider later that afternoon. The doctor’s office sent a test for COVID-19 to LabCorp for analysis, and the patient began home isolation.
The patient remains at home in isolation.
Protecting Yourself
Although your risk of contracting COVID-19 locally remains low, the county’s public health team encourages you to protect yourself from COVID-19 and any other flu-like illness by following these simple steps:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Stay away from sick people.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces – especially ones that are touched frequently – using regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
- Stay home if you’re sick and don’t send sick children to school or childcare.
Staying Updated
Wake County has made it easy for you to stay updated on the latest information about COVID-19.
You can visit our bilingual COVID-19 webpage, which has a set of frequently asked questions to help educate residents in English and Spanish. You can also email us questions at covid19.questions@wake.gov, or you can call our COVID-19 information line at 919-856-7044. The county is also sharing important information on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are also good resources for up-to-date, accurate information about this evolving situation.
