St. Luke’s University Health Network on Thursday confirmed a patient at its Bethlehem Township hospital has the Lehigh Valley’s first case of the new coronavirus.

Pennsylvania health officials earlier in the day had announced the presumptive positive test in Northampton County. It’s the first in Lehigh or Northampton counties of the COVID-19 illness caused by a virus that began spreading last December in China and is now a global pandemic.

“We can confirm that a patient at our St. Luke’s Anderson Campus tested positive for coronavirus,” Sam Kennedy, spokesman for the health network, said by email Thursday afternoon. “We are following all established protocols and taking all safety measures in caring for this patient.”

He said the hospital could not release further information on the patient, including age or gender, but confirmed the patient remained hospitalized, as opposed to being discharged to self-isolate at home.

Pennsylvania as of Thursday afternoon had 22 coronavirus cases, state Health Secretary Rachel Levine said in an update. That includes two positive tests confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 20 presumptive positives, meaning they had not yet been confirmed by the CDC, Levine said. The latest case announced is in Pike County.

A 23rd case is an out-of-state resident who is hospitalized in Pennsylvania but is not being counted toward the number of Pennsylvanians with the disease, Levine said.

A total of 219 Pennsylvanians have been identified for testing, with 116 testing negative and 81 tests still pending, in addition to the 22 positives, Levine announced.

The illness, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath that may appear two to 14 days after exposure, according to the CDC.

Globally, the World Health Organization reported 125,048 cases confirmed as of Thursday, including 4,613 deaths, in 117 countries, territories or other areas. The United States had 1,215 cases with 36 deaths, with patients in 42 states and the District of Columbia, the CDC reported Thursday.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Steps to prevent a coronavirus infection include frequent hand-washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or if not readily available using a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, and avoiding close contact. Those who are sick are urged to stay home, cover coughs and sneezes and wear a face mask. In addition, frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected, including tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks.

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