SARASOTA, Fla. — One of the two now-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Florida is in Sarasota.
The patient has been identified as a 60-year-old Manatee County man. He experienced breathing problems late last month and checked himself into Doctors Hospital of Sarasota.
At that time, he was not tested for the coronavirus.
But a couple of days ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidance to include testing patients who are exhibiting pneumonia-like symptoms with unknown origins.
So, the man at Doctors Hospital was given the test – and he tested positive. He has since been placed in isolation.
A letter sent by the hospital to staff, relatives and patients reads in part:
“All potentially exposed individuals have been identified. We are working very closely with the local and state department of health as well as the CDC to a sure that we continue to take all appropriate precautions.“
Several hospital employees are self-isolating for 14 days to ensure they were not infected by the patient.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Florida) met Monday with the CEO of Doctors Hospital and was assured the hospital can maintain an adequate staff by drawing from other local medical centers in its group.
“I know they’re not performing surgeries right now,” Buchanan said.
“But the bottom line is I think they will be in the near future. I’d like to think they can come back online. But they’re being conservative about it.”
But now that it's clear the patient could potentially have infected others at the hospital – and it's still unclear where he contracted the virus – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida should expect more coronavirus cases.
“You know, we are anticipating that there will be additional positive tests,” DeSantis said.
“The man that was hospitalized did not, before the CDC guidelines change, fit the criteria where you would test for COVID-19 because he had not been exposed to travel. And we don’t think he had been exposed to people who had been. Although I think that’s under investigation. And so, the follow on for that will be that we likely think that there will be more.”
That delay for several days along with Governor DeSantis’s warning is making some people uncomfortable. They say they would like more information about where this patient comes from – where he’s been.
“If I was there, I would like to help somebody else and I would give the information. I have no idea what’s going on there,” Sophia Juhasz said. She was seeing the hospital Monday to see her doctor.
Her husband Francis agreed.
“And hopefully, stay away if I am aware that somebody is in the hospital and I have a choice where to go if something happens to me or to my wife,” he said.
Here is the complete text of the letter given to 10News by a person whose relative was a patient at Doctors Hospital. The letter, they say, was provided to staff, patients and families:
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota has been notified by the centers for disease control (CDC) that we have a patient in our facility who presumptively tested positive for COVID-19. This patient was admitted to our facility in late February, and remains in our care. On Friday, February 28, the CDC changed its guidance regarding COVID-19, specifically the criteria for persons under investigation (PUI), which consequently led the patient to be tested. Upon recognizing that the patient was a potential COVID-19 case, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota immediately and appropriately activated all protocols for handling potential COVID-19 cases, including immediate isolation.
All potentially exposed individuals have been identified. We are working very closely with the local and state department of health as well as the CDC to assure that we will continue to take all the appropriate precautions.
Just as we have done with seasonal flu and tuberculosis, we identify and treat infectious diseases while minimizing risk. By being aware of the very latest recommendations of the CDC, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota was able to identify this patient and pursue testing at the very earliest opportunity.
Please know that the safety of our patients, colleagues and community is of the utmost concern.
For more information, including risk levels please visit the CDC website.
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