PORTLAND, Ore. — A second person has tested positive for coronavirus in Oregon.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, the second person to test presumptive positive was a household contact of the Forest Hills Elementary School employee who tested positive on Friday.
The person is being quarantined in their home and is a resident of Washington County. The gender and age of this person have not been given to maintain their privacy. The second patient's symptoms are not severe enough to need hospitalization so they will recover in their home.
A total of nine cases were tested today in the state of Oregon and only one came back positive. Officials are expecting the test results for the Forest Hills Elementary employee to come back on Monday.
The CDC will test the first and second positive to confirm the cases, but the officials do not expect anything but a confirmed positive.
There are currently 86 people being monitored in Oregon and six tests are pending. The number of tests pending changes as more people who may have come into contact with the virus are monitored.
Local and state health officials want to assure the public that most cases of COVID-19, or coronavirus, will have mild symptoms. If you become sick with a fever or respiratory issues and you would not normally seek medical care because they are mild, health officials are encouraging you to stay home and recover. Officials say that 24 hours after a person feels better and no longer need to take medicine to control their fever can return to the public or work.
However, they encourage those who are experiencing more severe symptoms to call your healthcare provider to arrange an appointment in order to minimize exposure.
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Officials urge people to regularly use disinfectant products on high-traffic surfaces. They have said that household disinfectants work well in combating the virus.
OHA and other health officials expect that they will confirm more positive cases and have a better understanding of how the virus spreads. As of now, the understanding of COVID-19 is that it spreads like the flu and each carrier may infect 2-3 people. People infected may be asymptomatic and spread the virus unknowingly.
Key pieces of advice to avoid spreading the coronavirus or getting sick:
- Stay home if you’re sick
- Wash your hands often
- Disinfect surfaces often
- Get a good night's sleep
- Maintain a balanced diet