The Wake County Public Health Division determined the resident who tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 on March 11 avoided becoming a risk to the public by effectively self-isolating.

“This is a perfect example of how people should act when they begin to feel sick,” said Wake County Medical Director Dr. Kim McDonald. “If you start to feel sick, stay home, get some rest and avoid having close contact with your family members.”

Through contact tracing, Wake County confirmed the person came in close contact with the traveler from Indiana who visited Biogen in Raleigh last week and, upon returning home, tested presumptive positive for COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines “close contact” as being within six feet of the patient for 10 minutes or more.

On the evening of Thursday, March 5, the person began feeling feverish and developed a sore throat and cough.

Since March 6, the person has remained at home in isolation and is doing well. Because the patient self-isolated, public health staff believe there is little risk the person exposed others to the virus.

On March 11, Wake County received notice from the state lab that the person had tested presumptive positive for COVID-19. The case brought the total number of presumptive positive test results in Wake County to seven.

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.