GIG HARBOR, WA — The first Pierce County patient diagnosed with the new coronavirus is being treated at a Gig Harbor hospital, health officials announced Friday.

"We were expecting to get a positive case at some time — today's that day," said Dr. Anthony Chen, director of health for Pierce County. "We do expect that this is only the first of other cases." The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said the patient is a man in his 50s who visited St. Anthony Hospital with pneumonia-like symptoms Wednesday. After flu tests returned negative, the hospital sent samples to the University of Washington lab in Seattle, where they returned positive for COVID-19. Health officials said they were still awaiting final confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Chen, the man has underlying health issues but is listed in stable condition at the hospital and appears to be improving. Health department staff is working to trace any contacts the man may have had with others before he was diagnosed.

According to an update Friday morning, at least 79 illnesses have been linked to the COVID-19 virus in Washington and 14 people have died. A majority of the infections have been in King County, and most of the deaths are associated with a Kirkland nursing home. The News Tribune reports one patient from the senior facility was transferred Friday morning to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup.

... it may be possible you can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes. Learn more from @TPCHD https://t.co/0DTV1GruUj#FactsNotFear #ViralFacts (2/2)

— Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (@TPCHD) March 6, 2020 What is COVID-19? The Department of Health explains:

"COVID-19 is a new respiratory virus. There are no treatments for it. Most people will recover on their own, but some people can develop pneumonia and require medical care or hospitalization."

Symptoms of the new coronavirus are similar to flu or colds and may include: Runny nose

Headache

Cough

Sore throat

Fever

A general feeling of being unwell According to the Department of Health, people should take these steps to reduce their risk of getting and spreading any viral respiratory infections: