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Second Washoe resident has presumptive positive test for COVID-19

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A second Washoe County resident, a male in his 30s whose symptoms appeared after a trip to Santa Clara, Calif., potentially has coronavirus, the Washoe County Health District announced Sunday. 

Health officials are identifying close contacts with the subject, as well as conducting community surveillance to determine possible spread in the community. 

The first subject is a male in his 50s, whose condition was diagnosed Thursday and linked to the Grand Princess cruise ship outbreak.

Both are self-isolating at home.

Such cases are considered “presumptive positive” until confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Due to medical privacy requirements, further information isn’t being released, the health district said. 

“Given the increase in cases across the nation and the world, and the increased local testing we’re conducting, it isn’t surprising to see an additional presumptive positive case,” district health officer Kevin Dick said. “Washoe County residents should remain vigilant against this disease.”

The first subject has a child attending Huffaker Elementary School in South Reno. The school was shut down as a precaution Friday and several students were tested, including the child of the subject, and all results came back negative. Classes at Huffaker will resume Monday.

The CDC needs to confirm positive test results, but not negative ones, which is why the children’s results were made known earlier, health district spokesman Scott Oxarart said.

Also known as COVID-19, coronavirus is a respiratory virus identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in late December.

This Is Reno’s COVID-19 news coverage

Carla O'Day
Carla O'Day
Carla has an undergraduate degree in journalism and more than 10 years experience as a daily newspaper reporter. She grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., moved to the Reno area in 2002 and wrote for the Reno Gazette-Journal for 8 years, covering a variety of topics. Prior to that, she covered local government in Fort Pierce, Fla.

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