AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A patient is currently in isolation at University Hospital while being tested for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.

The hospital released the following statement:

The patient presented March 7 with respiratory symptoms and was quickly isolated after being identified as having been in contact in the home with a recent traveler from an affected area.The patient was approved for testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a sample was promptly collected and was scheduled to be transported to Atlanta early today for testing. We are told we will most likely have a positive or negative reading in 24-48 hours. The patient is currently in good condition and is being monitored closely. In order to protect the patient’s privacy under the Health Information Privacy Accountability Act, we will not release any other information on the patient at this time. We will release the results of the test when it is made available to us, and an update on the condition of the patient if it changes. Please direct all your questions to me at this email address, which I am monitoring. Please do not reach out to hospital physicians or staff as they are busy caring for patients and will only redirect you to me, which is hospital policy for all media interactions. We have worked diligently to prepare for this, and we are extremely proud of the professional manner in which our staff has handled the care of this patient. We cannot stress enough, that the most important protection from COVID-19, the much more common influenza, cold or any other respiratory illness is to wash your hands frequently and refrain from touching your face. Should anyone experience respiratory symptoms and a fever, and believe they could have been in close contact with someone who has traveled to a COVID-19 affected area, the best thing to do is first call a primary care physician, urgent care center or emergency department so they can first be pre-screened and advised over the phone so caregivers can be best prepared to care for them when they arrive at a care facility. For information and current updates, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov. Thank you.

Count on NewsChannel 6 for more details as they become available.

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