March 19, 2020 - 10:10 AM
OMAHA, Neb. - A health department in south-central Nebraska has reported that region's first case of the coronavirus, even as the last of the Americans who were exposed to it on a Japanese cruise ship have been released from quarantine in Omaha.
A woman in her 40s from Adams County tested positive for COVID-19, South Heartland District Health Department in Hastings said in a news release Wednesday night. The release said the woman had recently travelled to Europe and is self-quarantining in her home.
The department is working to identify the woman's close contacts, who will be notified and asked to self-isolate while local health officials monitor them for symptoms twice daily, health officials said.
That brings the number of cases in the state to 29.
For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
According to the World Health Organization, people with mild case recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe cases may take three to six weeks to get better.
On Wednesday, the last Diamond Princess passenger went home, Nebraska Medicine spokesman Taylor Wilson said. The passenger was among the 15 who were part of a larger group of American citizens who'd been aboard the Diamond Princess and flown back to the U.S. in February.
The first four were released earlier this month and the rest as they tested negative three times for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
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