Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta confirms it has a COVID-19 patient
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Rendering provided by CHOA.
This story has been updated.
Atlanta, GA – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is confirming a patient in their care has COVID-19.
“The patient remains in isolation, and we have consistently used appropriate precautions,” a CHOA spokesperson said. “Additional details will not be released due to patient privacy laws.”
A report in the Atlanta Journal Constitution says the patient is 12 years old and was admitted to Scottish Rite on March 15.
CHOA anticipates additional cases of the disease in the weeks ahead.
“Even before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the U.S., a dedicated and highly skilled team at Children’s has been planning and preparing for this exact situation,” the spokesperson said. “We have implemented policies informed by the CDC, WHO and other authorities that are intended to protect our employees, patients, physicians and visitors. We continue to limit and screen visitors, postpone elective procedures and imaging and have canceled non-urgent clinic visits.”
CHOA encourages everyone to stay calm, stay vigilant and stay home. A spokesperson for CHOA also recently provided advice for talking to your child about COVID-19. To see what CHOA recommends when it comes to discussing coronavirus with your children, click here.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases are on the rise as testing expands. As of 7 p.m., March 21, 555 confirmed cases and 20 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths. That’s up from the 14 deaths reported earlier in the day. On March 20, there were 420 cases reported.
Currently, there are 41 confirmed cases in DeKalb County. Yesterday there were 35 cases in DeKalb. The day before that, there were 22 cases in DeKalb.
Children – ages 0 to 17 – make up 1 percent of all confirmed cases, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
| County | Cases |
|---|---|
| Fulton | 99 |
| Bartow | 56 |
| Cobb | 50 |
| Dougherty | 47 |
| DeKalb | 41 |
| Gwinnett | 23 |
| Cherokee | 17 |
| Carroll | 14 |
| Lee | 14 |
| Clayton | 13 |
| Richmond | 10 |
| Clarke | 9 |
| Fayette | 9 |
| Hall | 9 |
| Coweta | 8 |
| Floyd | 8 |
| Henry | 7 |
| Lowndes | 7 |
| Chatham | 4 |
| Douglas | 4 |
| Forsyth | 4 |
| Gordon | 4 |
| Newton | 4 |
| Paulding | 4 |
| Polk | 4 |
| Troup | 4 |
| Columbia | 3 |
| Baldwin | 2 |
| Early | 2 |
| Glynn | 2 |
| Laurens | 2 |
| Muscogee | 2 |
| Peach | 2 |
| Pickens | 2 |
| Rockdale | 2 |
| Spalding | 2 |
| Sumter | 2 |
| Terrell | 2 |
| Tift | 2 |
| Worth | 2 |
| Barrow | 1 |
| Bibb | 1 |
| Charlton | 1 |
| Dawson | 1 |
| Effingham | 1 |
| Heard | 1 |
| Houston | 1 |
| Lamar | 1 |
| Lincoln | 1 |
| Lumpkin | 1 |
| Miller | 1 |
| Monroe | 1 |
| Oconee | 1 |
| Randolph | 1 |
| Turner | 1 |
| Whitfield | 1 |
| Unknown | 37 |
*Based on patient county of residence when known
| Lab | Number of Positive Tests | Total Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Lab | 407 | 2798 |
| GPHL | 148 | 818 |
The number of cases is likely much higher than is publicly known due to limited testing. People with mild symptoms aren’t being offered tests.
Coronavirus symptoms can appear two to 14 days after exposure and include:
– Fever
– Cough
– Shortness of breath
The CDC says the following symptoms require emergency medical attention:
– Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
– Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
– New confusion or inability to arouse
– Bluish lips or face
Here are the recommendations on coronavirus prevention from the DeKalb County Board of Health:
– 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.
– Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue to cover it, then throw the tissue in the trash.
– Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
The DeKalb County Board of Health is encouraging people not to buy facemasks.
“Surgical masks should be reserved for people who exhibit symptoms (to prevent them from spreading the virus through respiratory secretions such as saliva or mucus) and healthcare professionals who are taking care of sick people,” the DeKalb County Board of Health says. “Regular surgical face masks are not effective in protecting against the coronavirus, according to the CDC. A more specialized face mask known as N95 respirators are thicker than surgical masks and are fitted to a person’s face to keep out any viral particles.”
For more information from the Centers for Disease Control, click here.
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