ROCKPORT – A 35 year-old man from Knox County has tested presumptive positive for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The patient had recently traveled out of state and developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19. He presented to the emergency department at Pen Bay Medical Center (PBMC) for evaluation, according to a news release from Pen Bay Medical Center.

The patient was immediately placed in isolation and was evaluated by care team members who were wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), the release said.

Testing for COVID-19 was obtained and he was discharged home with instructions to remain under self-quarantine until results of testing were available, according to Pen Bay.

The patient tested positive for COVID-19, which in this case means that the test was performed at NorDx Laboratories, a subsidiary of MaineHealth. Upon return of that positive result, the sample was sent to the Maine CDC for likely confirmation. 

If the Maine CDC confirms the test it will be described as being confirmed positive.

Pen Bay Medical Center is evaluating patients who have signs and symptoms consistent with infection caused by coronavirus.  The care team members are well prepared to care for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

At PBMC, the Hospital Incident Command System has been activated, and care teams that have trained and planned for this possibility are staying up to date with the latest guidance from the CDC.

Most cases of COVID-19 infection bring flu-like symptoms that are mild to moderate and can be treated at home, according to Mark Fourre, who is Chief Medical Officer of Pen Bay Medical Center and Coastal Healthcare Alliance, the Midcoast umbrella organization over Pen Bay, Waldo and Miles hospitals

He stressed in the release, “that patients need only be treated at a hospital in the small minority of cases where symptoms are severe.”

If you feel you need medical attention, call your primary care provider before going to a healthcare facility.  If you do not have a primary care provider and need emergency care, call the emergency department before going to the ED.

It is critical for all of us to choose reliable sources for the latest information. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Maine CDC and MaineHealth are your best sources for up-to-date factual information about COVID-19. We strongly recommend you visit their websites at: www.cdc.gov, www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc and www.mainehealth.org/healthy-communities/coronavirus

About Pen Bay Medical Center 

Pen Bay Medical Center is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit pbmc.org.