Man tests positive for coronavirus at Indianapolis hospital, health officials say

Officials believe man was exposed to COVID-19 during event in Boston

INDIANAPOLIS – A man who traveled to Boston recently tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday at a hospital in Indianapolis, health officials say.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said this is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the state. He has declared a public health emergency.

You can watch the full news conference in the video posted above.

Dr. Kristina Box, the commissioner of Indiana’s Department of Health, said this is an isolated incident. She said the man, a Marion County resident, traveled to Boston for a work conference recently and attended an event. Positive cases have been identified from that event, and the man had contact with people there, Box said.

She said there have been 12 people tested for coronavirus in Indiana and 35 people are being monitored. They’re all in quarantine, but none of them are sick. This is the first presumptive positive case in the state.

“There is no ongoing risk to the public," Box said. "With the global spread of COVID-19, the question was never if Indiana would get a case, but when we would see one.”

She said the person is currently in isolation outside the hospital. The risk of exposure was minimized because he learned about the exposure at the Boston event and was on the lookout for symptoms, Box said. When he noticed a sore throat, a high temperature and a mild cough, he called the State Department of Health immediately, officials said.

He was told to go to Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, officials said. He arrived at 11:37 p.m. Thursday and stayed in the parking lot until health officials dressed appropriately to avoid exposure came out and escorted him to an isolated room, officials said.

Nobody at the hospital was exposed to the man, health officials said. He was there until about 2:30 a.m. before being taken into isolation outside the hospital.

“At this time, we do not see any evidence of any spread of this," a doctor said.

The man is stable and is not in the highest risk age group, Box said. She said he didn’t have any health concerns before the virus.

Box said they’re still investigating if the man could have exposed any family members before being quarantined.


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Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.