DHS confirms first case of coronavirus in Wisconsin, patient tested at UW Hospital

Stephanie Fryer by Stephanie Fryer, Brandon Arbuckle

File photo

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has confirmed the first case of coronavirus in Wisconsin, but health officials said the risk to the public for contracting the virus remains low.

The patient is a Wisconsin resident who recently visited Beijing, China, and was exposed to cases while in China.

Test results for coronavirus came back positive on Wednesday. The patient was tested for the virus at UW Hospital in Madison.

DHS staff said the patient is “doing well” and is no longer in the hospital. However, the patient is currently in isolation at their home.

DHS staff said there are more potential cases in Wisconsin and are waiting for test results in those cases. 10 people have been tested in Wisconsin, and seven of those tests came back negative.

“DHS is operating with an abundance of caution and is working very closely with the local health department and UW Hospital and Clinics to ensure that this patient and any close contacts are closely monitored,” said State Health Officer Jeanne Ayers.

UW Health has taken other precautions as well, including asking travel history questions for patients visiting UW Health emergency rooms and urgent care centers.

Those who want to learn more about case counts in Wisconsin can go to the DHS Outbreak and Investigations webpage. New information is updated on the page by 2 p.m. on weekdays.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.