The Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday reported three positive cases of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Johnson County.
Johnson County had more cases of the respiratory disease than any other Hoosier county, according to a health department dashboard that’s tracking cases across the state. There are 10 positive cases in Indiana, with others in nearby Marion and Hendricks counties. The state health department said 43 people have been tested for the virus, either by that agency or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Neither local nor state health officials would say where in Johnson County the cases are located, but officials with the Johnson County Health Department said all three are linked to a positive case in Hendricks County, according to a news release.
All three individuals are self-isolating and not out in the community. As individuals who have had close contact are identified, they will be notified, the news release said.
A couple Johnson County residents were being monitored for the virus on Tuesday, said Dr. Craig Moorman, health officer at the local health department. He would not say Wednesday whether those are the individuals who tested positive for the virus.
None of the confirmed cases are in Franklin, Mayor Steve Barnett said Wednesday afternoon.
Both Barnett and Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers, who was in Washington D.C. meeting with Vice-President Mike Pence about unrelated topics on Wednesday, said they’ve been told the cases are in northern Johnson County.
Johnson Memorial Hospital has not seen any cases, a spokesperson said. Officials with Community Hospital South and St. Francis Hospital on the southside of Indianapolis deferred all questions to the state health department.
Officials at all six Johnson County public school districts said Wednesday afternoon they have not been notified of any cases that affect their schools.
Local health officials said they are working closely with the state health department and Marion County Health Department to investigate the cases, according to a Johnson County Health Department news release. They are advising the public to follow proper hand-washing practices and report any illnesses to their healthcare provider, the news release said.
For most, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and a cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.
According to the World Health Organization, which declared the virus a pandemic Wednesday, people with mild illness get better in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have recovered.
Indiana’s growing number of cases since the first one was reported last Friday in Marion County prompted Indiana and Purdue universities to announce Tuesday the suspension of classes on all campuses following spring break. The campuses will be open, however, and students will have the option to return to campus or not.
Other universities, including nearby University of Indianapolis, followed suit on Wednesday, extending spring break until March 20 for students.
The University of Notre Dame suspended classes on the South Bend campus starting March 23 through at least April 13. The school, which is also on spring break, canceled all classes for next week to allow faculty to adjust to online instruction.
Franklin College officials decided not to cancel any classes at this time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
