By Lonnie Wilkey and Chris Turner
Baptist and Reflector

NASHVILLE — The first known case of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has been discovered in Tennessee.

Gov. Bill Lee held a called president conference on March 9 at the Tennessee Department of Health in Nashville, announcing the first confirmed case of the coronavirus. The patient is described as a 44-year-old man in Williamson County. He currently is quarantined in his home, according to news reports from News Channel 5 in Nashville.

According to the state health department the man had mild symptoms and sought care when he became worse. Health officials said they’re working on compiling a list of people that have come in contact with the family.

According to News Channel 5, 10 people have been tested for the virus in Tennessee, one of five states that has begun testing for the virus. [Read more…]

By Chris Turner
cturner@tnbaptist.org

FRANKLIN — Topping the news globally is COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus. The flu-like virus is on the radar of the World Health Organization and being monitored for signs of an international pandemic. 

However, panic may be spreading more rapidly than an actual pandemic, and Tennesseans are concerned how they might be affected. Their question, especially concerning those gathering in churches, is, “What should we do?”

The initial response is simple: Don’t panic. In a recent Washington Post interview, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that, “Right now the risk to the American public is low.” 

That status could of course change, Fauci said, depending on what happens around the rest of the world, but right now there is not a widespread threat in the United States. The Center for Disease Control affirmed this position, stating on its website that, “at this time, this virus is NOT currently spreading in the community in the United States.” [Read more…]