Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany is reporting it has a “presumptively positive” patient for COVID-19.
The hospital says they were notified Wednesday that the patient they're treating has been listed as "presumptively positive" for coronavirus. Phoebe also reported that another person, who has now tested positive, was at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital before the positive test.
Late Tuesday night, Phoebe was notified that a patient who was treated in it's main hospital before being transferred to a metro Atlanta hospital to be closer to their home has since tested positive for COVID-19.
The patient was visiting southwest Georgia, and there is no indication the virus was contracted in this part of the state.
“We anticipated we would eventually treat COVID-19 positive patients. Our Coronavirus Task Force has been meeting daily and preparing for this eventuality,” said Scott Steiner, Phoebe Putney Health System Chief Executive Officer. “The safety of our patients, staff and physicians is our top priority. As soon as we were notified, we began the process of identifying those employees who may have come in close contact with this patient during their stay in our facility and determining their exposure risk to COVID-19 based on their associated level of patient contact.”
Officials say they are monitoring all employees who come in contact with COVID-19 patients closely for potential coronavirus symptoms.
The best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are:
- Wash your hands often.
- Avoid close contact with others.
- Cover coughs and sneezes.
- Stay home if you're sick.
- Wear a facemask if your're sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently-touched surfaces daily.
