Health Department monitoring 26 people in Indiana for coronavirus

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana State Department of Health is monitoring 26 people due to their history of travel or contact with an individual who has traveled to a country affected by coronavirus, the office said Thursday.

As of Thursday, the ISDH has monitored about 60 travelers along guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Indiana does not currently have any confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the ISDH said.

The ISDH is urging Hoosiers to take common-sense steps to prepare for the possibility that the disease could affect larger numbers of people in the United States.

These steps include washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home if you’re sick and disinfecting high-touch surfaces.

“This is the time to plan, not panic,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D. in a press release on Thursday.

Symptoms of the novel coronavirus include cough, fever, and shortness of breath, the ISDH said.

As of February 26, according to the CDC, about 60 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the United States. Forty-two are former passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, three are Americans recently repatriated from Wuhan, China, the center of the outbreak, and 14 have either recently returned from China or have a spouse who recently returned from China.

On Thursday, CNN reported that one patient at UC Davis Medical Center contracted the illness through unknown means.