Too Close To Home: Deadly Virus Just Misses New Jersey

The coronavirus has been spreading like wildfire in the past month, affecting over twenty countries and almost every continent. The United States is now beginning to see its fair share of cases, with most of them being found in California. While there are only a few cases on the East Coast, New Jersey almost had its first case yesterday morning. According to NJ.com, a suspected patient in Monmouth County, just hours away from Montclair, was taken into an isolated quarantine area at a local hospital to be tested for the disease. He was tested by the New Jersey Public Health Environmental Laboratories. After taking all necessary precautions and following guidelines set out by the CDC, the patient tested negative for the virus, lessening fears within our local community. 

Although there are cases being monitored, “‘Most New Jersey residents are at low risk for novel coronavirus,” state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a statement. “If individuals are having symptoms, the illness is much more likely to be caused by common respiratory viruses such as [the] flu or the common cold.’” The Federal Government has even taken note of New Jersey’s precise measures, with Vice President Mike Pence’s office congratulating the state for what it has done with the Monmouth County case. “The vice president praised New Jersey for taking aggressive and proactive measures to combat the public health threat and reiterated that the Trump administration stands ready to support New Jersey’s efforts in this fight,” Murphy’s office said. 

If you have questions or would like to report a potential case of the Coronavirus, you can go online to https://nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml or call the Coronavirus hotline at  1-(800)-222-1222.