NC's second coronavirus case originated in Italy; Chatham man now isolated at home

The test results need to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

A Chatham County man traveled in late February to an area in Italy that now has a COVID-19 outbreak, officials said. He reported having two days of mild, flu-like symptoms while in Italy. His fever resolved and symptoms were improving, and he flew back to the United States the following day.

The man also was in contact with someone from Georgia who contracted COVID-19, so the Georgia Department of Health alerted North Carolina health officials, who then tested him Thursday.

He is now in isolation at home, and his wife is quarantined there, although she's not showing any symptoms of the illness, officials said.

The Chatham County Public Health Department is working to identify his close contacts to monitor their symptoms. Also, because he had been symptomatic before traveling, the CDC will identify close contacts on the flight who could be at risk for the virus and notify the appropriate public health agencies, officials said.

"I was really surprised because Chatham County is a small county out of all of North Carolina. So, I was thinking, how can this be the second case in the state?" said Shanna Person, who lives and works in the county.

"I would suspect that, sooner or later, it’s going to be everywhere. There’s just no way, with the travel today, there’s just no way you’re going to be able to stop it from moving all over the place," said Vince Walker, a retired nurse who lives in Chatham County. "It’s something you have to watch out for."

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State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Tilson said officials are still trying to determine the timeline of when the man arrived at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and his subsequent movements.

"I get that, understanding people's concerns – Was I at risk? Was I exposed?" Tilson said during a Friday afternoon news conference.

Close household contacts are considered at high risk for virus transmission, she said, while are people who are in "sustained and close proximity contact," defined as being less than 6 feet away for more than 10 to 20 minutes, are considered at moderate risk.

"If you are just walking through a public setting – you're walking through the airport, you're walking through the grocery store, you're walking through the library and by this person – that is not considered a risk," Tilson said.

"I think that it’s a little frightening," said Sara Garner, who noted that she and Person are both bank tellers in Pittsboro and have to handle a lot of cash that others have touched.

A group of students from the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham also was in Italy for two weeks in mid- to late February.

School administrators said Friday that they consulted with Durham County public health officials, who told them the students didn't need to be isolated or quarantined when they returned. The students are now back on the campus of the residential high school, and their temperatures are being taken daily, officials said.

The Wake County man had been at a nursing home near Seattle where several people have contracted COVID-19. He returned to the Triangle through Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Feb. 22 but didn't exhibit symptoms for several days, officials said.

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North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mandy Cohen said officials are limited in what they can say about the two cases because of health privacy regulations and CDC guidelines. Also, she said, officials want to make sure they check all details for accuracy before releasing any information.

Tilson said other people who were at the restaurant with the COVID-19 patient are being monitored and tested to determine if they've contracted the virus, and some have quarantined themselves. Overall, 19 people in the state have been tested for coronavirus, officials said.

Staffers sanitized the restaurant on Wednesday after being notified by Wake County public health officials, and a professional cleaning company was brought in on Thursday.

"As testing increases, we know that the number of confirmed [patients] will go up," Gov. Roy Cooper said. "I understand that people are worried. Know that the health and safety of our state is a top priority. ... We must rely on facts instead of fear as we all approach the coronavirus in our own community."

The Wake County Public Health Division announced in a press release on Friday that the CDC is running a second test to confirm results on the Wake County patient who contracted the coronavirus.

“Our Communicable Disease team has worked with the patient to determine where this person went while showing symptoms of COVID-19,” said Chris Kippes, the Wake County Public Health Division director. “We’ve tracked the patient’s path, and at this time, our focus is on the people who came in close contact with the patient at so∙ca. All other locations have been ruled out as places of further public health concern.”

The CDC defines “close contact” as being within six feet of the patient for at least 10 minutes.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced in a press conference earlier this week the man who has the virus recently traveled to Washington state and was exposed to a long-term care facility that has had numerous cases of coronavirus, or COVID-19.

The Wake County patient traveled through Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Feb. 22, airport officials said.