Results have all come back negative, a bit sooner than expected, for three individuals who were tested for the disease at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.
Stormont Public Relations Specialist Matt Lara has confirmed all three people have been cleared of Coronavirus after testing throughout the day Wednesday. Of those three individuals, one came to Stormont after visiting an Emporia medical facility this week.
Hospital staff confirmed to KVOE News earlier the patient had symptoms consistent with coronavirus, meaning cough, fever and shortness of breath. The announcement comes after one of the three individuals had been cleared earlier in the day.
Activities across Kansas are starting to be adjusted, including a major one of USD 252 Southern Lyon County. The district’s spring Honor Flight to Washington, DC, has been postponed. Fundraising will continue and the district will announce a new set of travel dates once those have been set.
4:30 pm Wednesday: Test results expected midday Thursday for patient at Emporia clinic; Coronavirus beginning to disrupt public sporting event schedules
Authorities with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are saying test results in the case of a person currently being tested for coronavirus after going to an Emporia medical facility this week may be available by lunchtime Thursday.
Stormont-Vail CEO Dr. Robert Kanagy says the patient came to Stormont’s Emporia clinic Tuesday for a doctor’s appointment. Hospital staff has confirmed to KVOE News the patient had symptoms consistent with coronavirus, meaning cough, fever and shortness of breath.
Kanagy declined a taped interview, but he tells KVOE News the Kansas Department of Health and Environment will release information.and will also give the official medical advice to the patient for further care. With the patient from the Emporia facility not initially at the hospital, KDHE will lead a team that will track down people who have been in contact with the patient if that person has coronavirus.
Stormont-Vail has been checking three patients, including two who were already at the Topeka hospital. One of the patients at the hospital has already been cleared.
This comes as the World Health Organization declares coronavirus, also called COVID-19, a pandemic — meaning the disease has spread worldwide. Director-General Tedros Adhanom:
A news release sent to KVOE from Flint Hills Community Health Lyon County Public health is continuing to monitor the current status of Covid-19 throughout the county. Lyon County Health Officer, Renee E. Hively states in the release, “It is our practice to follow KDHE protocol and not to report Persons Under Investigation (PUI) in order to protect the confidentiality of the patients being tested.”
Lyon County Public Health continues to recommend solid precautionary measures to help minimize the spread of the disease including, washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, cover your mouth when you cough, avoiding touching your face, mouth and eyes and staying home when you are sick.
The impact of fears from the Coronavirus is continuing to be felt on the national scale specifically with public sporting events. The NCAA announced Wednesday they will be going forward with the annual national tournament, however, fans will not be permitted to attend the games.
According to the NCAA’s website, attendance will only be permitted for essential staff and limited family. Ticket sales for the NCAA Divsion II Regional Tournament involving ESU at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO have suspended.
The last pandemic was the H1N1 flu strain in 2009, which killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world. COVID-19 is not to that level currently with almost 120,000 cases worldwide and 4,000 deaths.
11 am Wednesday: Patient at Emporia’s Stormont-Vail clinic being tested for coronavirus
Topeka’s Stormont-Vail Hospital says it is testing three people for coronavirus, and one was apparently seen at the Emporia clinic.
Hospital officials say the person seen in Emporia on Tuesday had symptoms consistent with the virus, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. Test results are pending through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Additional details about the patients will not be released at this time.
KDHE and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both say symptoms may develop anywhere between two and 14 days after exposure. If you develop symptoms or have been in close contact with somebody known with coronavirus, see a doctor.
We’ll keep you updated on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media. More information about coronavirus is coming from experts at Newman Regional Health and Flint Hills Community Health Center on Friday’s Talk of Emporia.
