A second case of coronavirus was confirmed in North Carolina Friday.
After an initial case was reported in Wake County earlier this week, the state confirmed another case in Chatham County on Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still needs to confirm the test, but the man who contracted the virus is in isolation at his home, according to a press release from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
The man traveled in late February to an area of Italy that now has an outbreak. He had mild flu-like symptoms while still abroad but improved, so he traveled back to his home in Chatham County. According to the Georgia Department of Health, he had contact with a case in Georgia, and the department notified North Carolina.
The CDC will monitor other people on his flight and notify the appropriate health agencies.
The N.C. DHHS maintains that coronavirus is not widespread in North Carolina, and there are no confirmed cases in Orange County. Following the Wake County case Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper's recently created coronavirus task force announced that the state lab is now able to perform tests for the virus.
"Testing is already underway in our state lab and that means we get results faster," Cooper said in a Tuesday press release. "Our public health leaders have been working around the clock to ensure that we are prepared."
The state is encouraging people to take precautions against the virus, like thorough hand washing and avoiding touching the face. Coronavirus has impacted many UNC students' spring break plans, and the University is imposing self quarantines for anyone who travels to a place with a state of emergency.
