Confirmed COVID-19 case in Texas

A state health services official said there is a low risk of the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) spreading to the general population even though there is a confirmed case in Texas.

The confirmed case is among the people under quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, according to a news release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. Emilie Prot, regional medical director for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said there is a low risk of COVID-19 spreading.

“They’re all on the Air Force base of Lackland, so they’re not in the general population,” Prot said. “People should not be afraid of going out or eating at a Chinese restaurant or, you know, it’s not about discrimination of race or the way the person looks.”

Asked why Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland was chosen to hold people in quarantine, Prot replied, “They’re under federal jurisdiction. So, right now, all of the bases, there’s one in California, so all of them are federal bases, so it’s either Air Force, military. … The CDC has jurisdiction there on the federal grounds and since the president declared the public health emergency, they’re allowed to issue that quarantine order and only on there, where they have authority.”

There are 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S., including the one in Texas, according to a Feb. 13 news release from the CDC.

“All people who lived or traveled in Hubei Province, China, are considered at high risk of having been exposed to this virus and are subject to a temporary 14-day quarantine upon entry into the United States,” the news release states. “This is the first person under quarantine at [Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland] who had symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19. The individual is currently isolated and receiving medical care at a designated hospital nearby.”

On Feb. 16, the U.S. State Department brought back to the United States 300 American citizens and their immediate family members who had been aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, according to a news release from the federal agency.

The cruise ship docked at the Japanese port of Yokohama, according to the Princess website.

“During the evacuation process, after passengers had disembarked the ship and initiated transport to the airport, U.S. officials received notice that 14 passengers, who had been tested 2-3 days earlier, had tested positive for COVID-19,” the news release states. “These individuals were moved in the most expeditious and safe manner to a specialized containment area on the evacuation aircraft to isolate them in accordance with standard protocols.”

Passengers were separated into two bases, Travis Air Force Base in California and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and will remain in quarantine for 14 days, according to the new release.

“Every precaution to ensure proper isolation and community protection measures are being taken, driven by the most up-to-date risk assessments by U.S. health authorities,” the document states. “We continue all possible efforts to protect the welfare of U.S. citizens.”

The novel coronavirus was first detected Dec. 31, 2019, in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and there have been 15 confirmed cases, 412 negative and 52 pending in the U.S., as of last Thursday, according to the CDC’s website.

Dr. Jose Campo Maldonado, an assistant professor of internal medicine for the UTRGV School of Medicine, said although it is an epidemic it is not a local one.

“Avoid any type of misinformation or panic and understand how to protect yourself from the viruses, and generally, respiratory viruses, including the ones that are circulating right now in the community,”Maldonado said.

According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website, recommendations to reduce exposure to and transmission of illnesses include hand and respiratory hygiene and safe food practices, including:

–clean hands by using rubbing alcohol or soap and water;

–cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue when coughing and sneezing;

–avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever and cough; and

–consumption of raw animal products should be avoided.

As reported by The Rider on Feb. 10, UTRGV has suspended all university-related travels to China as of Jan. 31 due to the novel coronavirus outbreak being declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO, according to an email sent to the university community.

Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Pablo Mendez said last Thursday, the suspension will not be lifted until further notice.

For more information and updates about COVID-19, visit dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus.