6 Texans Who Traveled To Egypt Confirmed To Have Coronavirus

Six cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed in the Houston area, all in people who were among a group that recently traveled to Egypt and there is currently no evidence of community spread, officials said. The first case diangosed in the area, in Fort Bend County, is also linked to the same group.

Three cases of the new coronavirus, known as COVID-19, were confirmed in Harris County on Thursday, all outside of the city of Houston. An additional case was confirmed Thursday in a man in the 60-70 age range within the city of Houston who is experiencing mild symptoms and is self-quarantined at home, city officials said.

On Friday, the sixth case connected to the group who went to Egypt was confirmed. The patient is a woman in the 60-70 age range and is hospitalized in stable condition. Mayor Sylvester Turner urged that the new case confirmed on Friday was not unexpected because it's among the same group that traveled to Egypt.

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"There remains no evidence of community spread, no need to alter our normal activity in Houston and certainly no reason to let fear grip our lives," Turner said.

Officials said they are working to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus. They will provide anyone who had close contact with an infected person guidance about the virus and monitor them for symptoms.

Houston officials said the risk to the general public remains low and those who have not traveled to an ongoing outbreak area or been exposed to someone with the virus are not considered at risk.

The three Harris County cases are in people from the northwest area of the county. The newly confirmed cases bring the number of infections in the Houston area to six.

On Wednesday, officials in Fort Bend County confirmed a travel-related case in a man in his 70s who had recently traveled abroad, marking the first case in the state as well.

The Houston Health Department said all patients were part of a group that had recently traveled to Egypt.

"All the cases in the Houston area have international travel in common and we've been actively monitoring these individuals since they were identified as being at-risk," Turner said in an earlier statement.

"I encourage Houstonians to limit international travel for the time being and heed the advice of public health officials about healthy hygiene habits. If you are feeling sick, stay at home. But do not be parlayed by fear."

Anyone who feels sick and believes they were exposed to COVID-19 should contact their doctor or a hospital immediately, Harris County officials said. Ill people should describe their symptoms, travel history and should get tested as soon as possible if doctors recommend that. Health officials stressed that testing is confidential.

"The best tools to fight the spread of this illness are facts, not fear," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.

"Residents should know that we have been leaning forward to make sure our response to this illness continues to be proactive and coordinated with a wide array of local, state and federal officials. Each of our residents is a member of our public health team, and we are urging everyone to learn the facts about this virus and take simple steps to help contain the spread by visiting www.ReadyHarris.org."

Officials said Harris County residents should take the following steps to prevent the virus from spreading:

• 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. Keeping a sick child at home prevents the spread of illness in the school and community and allows your child an opportunity to rest and recover.
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.