FIRST POSSIBLE case of coronavirus in state being investigated.

Health agency confirms suspicions, says results expected in a few days

Arkansas’ first possible case of the new coronavirus from China is under investigation, a state Department of Health spokesman said Wednesday.

Tests are being conducted to determine if the person’s illness is because of the virus first identified in Wuhan, China, spokesman Danyelle McNeill said. She said test results are expected within a few days.

McNeill said she couldn’t provide further details about the patient and didn’t have any other information about the case late Wednesday afternoon.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, five cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed in the United States — in Washington, California, Arizona and Illinois — as of Tuesday evening, and 92 were under investigation.

An additional 68 people nationwide have been tested for the virus, but their test results indicated that they didn’t have the illness.

The World Health Organization was first alerted to the new virus in Wuhan on Dec. 31.

As of Wednesday, the coronavirus was confirmed to have sickened 6,065 people and caused 132 deaths, according to the agency.

Illnesses from the virus have ranged from mild to severe, according to the CDC. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Similar viruses spread through respiratory droplets, such as when a person sneezes or coughs, and public health officials are investigating to see if the coronavirus also is spread that way.

While discussing a campus emergency preparedness plan during a meeting Wednesday of the University of Arkansas System board of trustees, UAMS Medical Center’s Chief Executive Officer Steppe Mette said the hospital was “fully prepared” to deal with any suspected coronavirus cases in the state.

The outbreak’s severity isn’t well understood, he said, but the medical staff is familiar with the processes for screening, isolating and treating potentially contagious patients, he said.

“We’re not concerned about our readiness,” he added.