The World Health Organization officially declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic today.

This news comes just a day after Collin County Health Care Services confirmed three cases among members of a family in Frisco who are now in self-quarantine.

Those infected include a 30-year-old man who made a business trip to California in February, his wife and a 3-year-old child, one of the family’s four children. All six members of the family have been tested for the virus. One school-age child had an inconclusive test and is being re-tested, and other family members tested negative.

The 30-year-old man did not show any symptoms while flying home, and officials said he did not pose a risk to others who were on the same plane. Likewise, health officials confirmed that both of the family’s school-age children did not have symptoms and were not contagious at any time while they attended school.

Collin County epidemiology staff is closely monitoring the cases and working to identify additional individuals who had contact with the confirmed cases while the individuals showed symptoms. Health officials will contact those identified as having close contact to the cases.

Health authorities said the immediate risk of transmission of the virus in Collin County remains low.

The county does not have an onsite laboratory to test for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-2019), but two commercial laboratories have announced their capability to perform COVID-19 testing. Quest Diagnostics began testing March 9, and LabCorp began testing March 5. People seeking testing should contact their doctor for testing referrals.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]