TDH Announces First Case of COVID-19 in Tennessee

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Health has received positive test results for a case of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Tennessee. The TDH State Public Health Laboratory tested the individual, and has submitted results to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation. The patient is an adult male from Williamson County who had recently traveled out-of-state. The patient has a mild illness and is isolated at home.

“We are working closely with local health care partners to identify contacts and contain spread of this disease in our communities,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “We’ve been anticipating identification of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee. At this time, the overall risk to the general public remains low. We are continuing to work with the CDC and other agencies to provide guidance to Tennesseans to protect their health.”

Most patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection have mild respiratory illness with fever, cough and shortness of breath. A smaller number of patients have severe symptoms requiring hospitalization. COVID-19 is not currently widespread in the United States, so no additional precautions are recommended for the general public to take beyond normal practices to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. These include:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing 
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands 
• Stay home if you are sick 
• Stay away from people who are sick
  
  TDH has launched a Tennessee Coronavirus Public Information Line effective at 10 a.m. Central time today in partnership with the Tennessee Poison Center. The hotline number is 877-8572945 and will be available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central daily.
  
  People with concerns about their health should contact their health care providers. TDH has additional information available at www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html. The CDC has updated information and guidance available online at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
  
  The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health.