The Wake County Public Health Division received word from the state lab this evening that a Wake County resident has tested presumptive positive for COVID-19. It is the ninth presumptive positive test result in Wake County.
The case is related to the existing cluster of positive patients tested earlier this week from Biogen.
“We are working to quickly establish a timeline of their movements, so we can effectively identify places they visited and determine if anyone was at increased risk of exposure,” said Wake County Medical Director Dr. Kim McDonald. “We will reach out to those who came in close contact with this person to assess their condition and take appropriate next steps.”
Creating a Timeline
The affected individual started showing symptoms on Feb. 24. The Wake County Public Health team will develop a timeline of what locations they visited and when – paying close attention to where they visited when they began showing symptoms.
Based on these conversations, the public health team will assess who was in close contact with the patient and determine if quarantine and testing for COVID-19 are warranted. The CDC defines “close contact” as being within six feet of the infected patients for 10 minutes or more.
Protecting Yourself
Although your risk of contracting COVID-19 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.
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Stay away from sick people.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces using regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash.
- Stay home if you’re sick and don’t send sick children to school or childcare.
Staying Updated
Wake County continues to work to keep you 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.
