TEXAS, USA — Over the weekend, a text made its way around San Angelo saying Angelo State University officials confirmed a case of the coronavirus in Tom Green County.
Those who received the text were asked to "spread the news", but what this text fact or fiction?
THE QUESTION
Is there a confirmed case of coronavirus in San Angelo, just two hours away from us?
WHAT WE FOUND
Our sources are
- Rebekah Brackin - Angelo State University, Director of Communications & Marketing
- Lyndy Stone - Shannon Medical Center's Marketing Director
- Sandy Villareal- San Angelo's Health Department Director
"This statement is false", Brackin said.
"Have no confirmed cases of the coronavirus," Stone said.
"There is no known positive confirmed case of coronavirus in the City of San Angelo or Tom Green County, or for that matter in Texas other than the one case in San Antonio on Lackland Air Force Base", Villareal said.
We can verify there is not a case of the coronavirus in San Angelo.
Except knowing there is one case in Texas -- is there a risk for us here in West Texas?
"Currently, the risk for coronavirus is very low in the states just because people are being quarantined. so it's not being spread person to person out in the general public," Villareal said.
Villareal mentions that there is a travel ban in place.
This ban keeps foreign nationals who have visited China in the 14 days before coming to the states from entering, even U.S. citizens should expect to be checked for the virus.
"Now U.S. citizens or relatives, residents of the U.S. will be allowed back. however, they still are going to have to come through one of the 11 funneling airports, and so from there then they will also be checked by personnel of the CDC," Villareal said.
We're told if there were a case, it would go through state health services and the CDC.
Everyone in the health care system is aware to contact the health department.
Recap of what we can verify:
- There is no confirmed case of coronavirus in San Angelo or anywhere in West Texas.
- There is a low risk of the virus spreading in the states.
- Any case of the virus would go through the health department and CDC.