Update: A second person has tested "presumptive positive" for COVID-19, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday. The person is in their 60s and is in quarantine, along with their family.
As of 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, there were 30 positive cases in Indiana.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ind. — A person tested “presumptive positive” for COVID-19, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
The person and their family are currently self-quarantining, officials said.
A presumptive positive means a person was first tested at a regional medical facility or doctor’s office, officials said, and they’re awaiting the results of a test conducted by the Centers for Disease Control.
“Although this person did have a presumptive positive result, it has been reported that this person is recovering,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
At the time this story was published, there were 24 positive cases in Indiana.
Gov. Eric Holcomb is ordering Indiana’s restaurants and bars to close to in-person customers in another step to stop the spread.
Citizens should continue to take precautions such as washing their hands, practicing social distancing (staying at least 6 feet from people) and avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop symptoms such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice.
Find more coronavirus/COVID-19 hotlines and resources below:
Ohio
- Department of Health COVID-19 hotline: 833-4-ASK-ODH
- See ODH’s COVID-19 resources here.
Kentucky
- State COVID-19 hotline: 1-800-722-5725
- See the Cabinet for Health and Family Services coronavirus resource site here.
Indiana
- SDH Epidemiology Resource Center: (317) 233-7125 or (317) 233-1325 after hours, or e-mail epiresource@isdh.in.gov
- See more information for coronavirus in Indiana here.
What is coronavirus, COVID-19?
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are "a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
A novel coronavirus, such as COVID-19, is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
COVID-19 was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and has now been detected in 37 locations across the globe, including in the U.S., according to the CDC.
The CDC reports the initial patients in China have some link to a large seafood and live animal market, indicative of animal-to-person spread. A growing number of patients, however, did not report exposure to animal markets, indicating the disease is spreading person-to-person.
What are the symptoms? How does it spread?
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death, according to the CDC. Symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath.
The CDC said symptoms could appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. It is similar to the incubation period for MERS.
Spread of the virus is thought to be mainly from person-to-person. Spread is between people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet). Spread occurs via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
According to the CDC, it could be possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes. This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, the CDC said.
The disease is most contagious when people are the sickest and showing the most symptoms, but it can be spread even at asymptomatic stages.
