RALEIGH — Five more people in Wake County have tested presumptively positive today for coronavirus (COVID-19). According to a press release from NC DHHS. All five traveled to Boston in late February to attend a BioGen conference. Several cases of coronavirus across the country have been traced to attendance of the conference. These cases are not related to the earlier individual in Wake County who tested positive last week. All are reported to be in isolation at their respective homes.
The tests were conducted by the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health and are presumptively positive. The tests will be confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lab. While awaiting confirmation of results from the CDC, NC DHHS will treat presumptive cases as positive and follow CDC guidelines to protect public health and limit the spread of infection.
Wake County’s Public Health Division is already working to identify close contacts. The CDC defines close contact as being within approximately 6 feet of a person with an infection for a prolonged period of time. County health officials will assess risks of exposure and determine which if any additional measures are needed. These include temperature and symptom checks, quarantine and/or testing.
