Lane County declares the first case of COVID-19

Eugene, Springfield and Lane County all had made crisis announcements in anticipation of and response with the impacts COVID-19 is having on local public health and the economy.

The first individual to test positive for COVID-19 in Lane County is a 69-year-old occupant of the Eugene-Springfield territory, local health authorities reported Tuesday afternoon.

Lane County Health Officer Dr. Patrick Luedtke said the man lives in a private residence and that he is likely a case of community transmission, which means he didn’t travel to a COVID-19 hotbed or have contact with another known cause.

The man is at home, after all, Lane County Public Health suggestions and is medicinally steady, Luedtke said. His symptoms — a fever, body aches, chills, and a light cough — showed up March 1 and a test was taken by his health care provider on Friday, as per Ludetke.

“His presentation initially was very much like a common cold, which is what we’ve been expecting and seen in other countries,” Ludetke said.