Amazon says one of the employees in one of its Seattle offices has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, which has killed more than 3,000 people globally and infected tens of thousands more.
“The employee went home feeling unwell on Tuesday, February 25 and has not entered Amazon offices since that time,” the company said in a notice to employees on Tuesday. “We notified the employees who we know were in close contact with this employee.”
The memo sought to allay workers’ fears, adding that “[t]he risk of transmission for employees who were not in close contact with this individual is assessed to be low.”
Amazon eventually released more details, according to CNBC. “We’re supporting the affected employee who is in quarantine,” the company said. “The employee is based out of Amazon’s Brazil office building in Seattle, WA.”
‘The office is in downtown Seattle on 9th Avenue, according to a search on Google Maps. It is not Amazon’s headquarters office, which is located on 7th Avenue,” the outlet added.
Washington state currently has the most active cases of coronavirus, also called COVID-19, in the U.S., including several cases at a nursing facility. So far, nine people have died in Washington and the total number of confirmed cases in the state hit 27 on Tuesday, up from 18 on Monday. Health officials said more than 230 other people in the state are currently being monitored for the virus.
According to a running tally by Johns Hopkins, there are 22 cases in King County, Washington, and eight of the nine U.S. deaths have occurred there. There has also been one death in a suburb located just north of Seattle.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the virus “is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person between people who are in close contact with one another (“within about 6 feet,” and “through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.”
But the CDC also says “it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
“The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (‘community spread’) in some affected geographic areas. Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus can love on surfaces for days.
“It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).”
WHO also offers a simple fix for the problem: “If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.”