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Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is treating its first coronavirus patient







A patient who is a presumed positive case for coronavirus is being treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Credit: Kylie Cooper

A patient who has tested positive for coronavirus is being treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The individual is in critical condition and is a Montgomery County, Pa. resident, health officials announced on Monday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the news in a press release on Monday afternoon, adding that the patient is an adult and is being cared for "under proper precautions to protect other patients and hospital staff." According to the press release, the patient tested presumptive positive after being exposed to the virus internationally.

Later Monday afternoon, CBS Philadelphia reported that the patient at HUP is a Children's Hospital of Philadelphia cardiologist. The doctor works at the King of Prussia Specialty Care and Surgery Center, CBS Philadelphia reported.

The new case now brings Pennsylvania's known coronavirus cases to seven, including five in Montgomery County, one in Delaware County, and one in Wayne County.

HUP is located on 3400 Spruce St. in the heart of Penn's campus.

"As a large academic health system and a national leader with deep experience caring for patients with diseases of all kinds, Penn Medicine is fully prepared to evaluate and care for patients who may be infected with COVID-19," Patrick Norton, Penn Medicine’s vice president for Public Affairs, wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian.

The patient who has tested positive for COVID-19 is being treated in an isolation room that is designed to care for patients with infectious disease and to protect staff and other patients, Norton wrote.

"Ensuring the safety and protection of all patients remains our top priority, and normal operations continue throughout the hospital," Norton wrote, adding that Penn Medicine has coordinated with multiple organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to monitor the situation.

The news of a coronavirus patient being treated at HUP comes amid numerous colleges canceling classes due to the spread of the virus. Princeton University called off in-person classes for at least two weeks after their spring break. Columbia University also canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday and shifted instruction online for the rest of the week.

On Friday, Penn canceled next month's Quaker Days events, which annually bring newly admitted students to campus before making their final college decisions. Penn Admissions will instead provide online resources to the newly admitted Class of 2024.

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