Editor's Note: Six new patients are being tested in Maryland on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, health officials say. Read the latest here.
Medical professionals in D.C. and Maryland are awaiting test results to see whether two people have been infected with the novel coronavirus that has sickened thousands across the world.
D.C. medical professionals are now testing a sixth person to determine if they have been infected.
No cases have been confirmed in the D.C. area as of Monday. Five other patients were tested for the virus, also called COVID-19, in D.C. Results came back negative. Those five people are still being monitored by D.C. Health.
Maryland currently is working with the Centers for Disease Control to test one person for COVID-19, state health officials say. Two people who were tested last week for the virus had results come back negative.
Six people in Maryland have been tested so far, but none have come back positive.
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More than 88,000 cases of the new virus have been confirmed worldwide, but most patients are in China where the virus emerged. Two U.S. residents, who lived in Washington state, have died from the virus.
Coronavirus is a family of illnesses that include the common cold and the flu. The COVID-19 virus is still being studied, but doctors say symptoms can include those similar to the cold and flu, including mild to severe respiratory symptoms.
No cases have been confirmed in D.C., Maryland or Virginia. But governments and schools are on high alert for an infectious disease that has spread to eastern states including New York, Massachusetts and Florida.
Eight people tested in Virginia tested negative for COVID-19. The state is currently monitoring 153 travelers for the disease, Virginia health officials say.
Officials say one of the best ways to prevent becoming ill is to wash your hands frequently. Anyone who feels sick should stay home.
If you believe you may have coronavirus, call your health provider before you visit so they can prepare and prevent the further spread of germs.
