The man is a patient at Mercy Medical Center in Canton and is the first Ohio case of "community spread."

The first coronavirus (COVID-19) case in Stark County was confirmed Wednesday. The Ohio Department of Health called it the state’s fourth case and first incident of “community spread.”

The 53-year-old man was isolated at Mercy Medical Center and poses no risk to other patients, said Canton Health Commissioner James Adams. He spoke to media Wednesday afternoon after the state’s daily coronavirus update.

“Right now, the patient is doing well,” Adams said.

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The man began showing signs of illness Feb. 25. Adams said he did not know when the man first visited a hospital.

Physicians first ruled out other causes for the illness before requesting a test from the Ohio Department of Health, Adams said. The man’s test sample arrived to a lab Monday.

Officials continued to investigate the number of people who had “close personal contact” — primarily how COVID-19 spreads — with the man. Adams said that includes hospital staff who might have been unprotected while caring for the patient.

"Less than a dozen” people already were asked to self-quarantine for 14 days because of potential exposure, he said.

A student at Perry High School is in self-quarantine after coming in contact with the man (read more here), according to information posted on Perry Local Schools' website. Perry schools are in session Thursday.

“We believe that risk was low because he did not interact with the public during his illness period to a great extent,” Adams said.

Because of privacy concerns, Adams was not more specific about the man’s residence in Stark County. He stopped short of calling it “community spread,” saying the man’s travel history remained under investigation, but said the Ohio Department of Health makes such classifications.

Gov. Mike DeWine, however, called the case “a new phase of this crisis.”

Amy Acton, the Ohio Department of Health director, said the man had no known travel outside the country or contact with an ill person. If there were two cases of person-to-person spread in a community, she said, it could be assumed that 1 percent of the population was infected.

“We expect to see more proof of community spread,” Acton said.

Both state and local health officials said they expect to detect more COVID-19 cases as more people are tested. Adams asked the Stark County community not to panic or shun those with the illness because the stigma can take a mental toll.

“This is the way respiratory outbreaks work and they will roll over the community and a few months from now they will become likely endemic, just like flu and cold because we have viruses around us,” Adams said.

Earlier in the day, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global pandemic. Stark County and other communities throughout Ohio have already begun taking steps to prevent the spread of the virus.

Canton Mayor Thomas Bernabei said he’s confident local and state health officials can effectively address and slow the spread of the virus. The city has been taking “extra steps” to disinfect frequently touched surfaces, he said, and is considering how to scale back non-essential work.

“We ask the public to remain calm,” Bernabei said.

“Essential public services” will remain unaffected.

More information about COVID-19 can be found on the Ohio Department of Health and Canton City Public Health websites.

Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323

or kelly.byer@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @kbyerREP