NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On March 16, officials announced 52 cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee.
In Middle Tennessee, there is one case in Rutherford County, 25 cases in Davidson County and 18 cases in Williamson County.
Other cases include one in Campbell County, one in Hamilton County, one in Jefferson County, one in Knox County, one in Sevier County, two in Shelby County and one in Sullivan County.
Mayor John Cooper and members of the Metro Coronavirus Task Force gave an update on COVID-19 in Nashville on Monday afternoon.
Dr. Alex Jahangir, the Mayor's Office director of coronavirus response and chairman of the Metro Board of Health, and Dr. Michael Caldwell, director of health with the Metro Public Health Department are expected to speak.
Dr. Caldwell said the age range of coronavirus patients in the county are between 11 and 73 years old. All but one of the patients are recovering at home.
Officials said in Nashville, 1,300 people have been tested.
At the press conference, members of the media were asked to practice social distancing by sitting at least 4 feet from each other.
The Metro Board of Health declared a public health emergency on Sunday evening.
Restaurant owners are being asked to reduce occupancy to 50 percent or 100 seats. Mayor Cooper also called for bars on Lower Broadway and throughout the county to close until further notice.
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See all our coronavirus coverage here
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
