First presumptive case of Wuhan coronavirus reported in B.C.

By News Staff

The first presumptive case of the Wuhan coronavirus has been reported in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.

A man in his 40s returned from Wuhan City, China last week, where he travels regularly for work. He is doing well while he remains in isolation at home.

B.C. Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry says people close to the man have been contacted.

“Those people do not have any symptoms so there’s no testing needed,” she explains.

She also says screening measures at the airport are working and while people have self-identified for testing, no one has been found to be infected.

“We’ve been looking for people who have travelled anywhere in China and doing detailed assessments.”

Henry adds the man did not show symptoms on the plane and is reassuring people there is no risk to those who shared the flight. However, officials in other countries are reporting the virus is possibly contagious before symptoms show.

A statement from the province says the situation is being monitored.

“The risk of spread of this virus within British Columbia remains low at this time. All necessary precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of infection. We have multiple systems in place to prepare for, detect and respond, in order to prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases in the province.”

Officials say there is no reason to take any special precautions.

“Regular hand washing, coughing or sneezing into your elbow sleeve, disposing of tissues appropriately and avoiding contact with sick people are important ways to prevent the spread of respiratory illness generally,” the statement reads.

The Vancouver Coastal Health region includes Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond, the Sea to Sky, the Sunshine Coast, and the Central Coast.

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