Four on Big Island self-monitoring for coronavirus

Four individuals on the Big Island are now self-monitoring for COVID-19, the newly identified coronavirus that has infected thousands in China and elsewhere in the world.

According to the state’s joint information center on COVID-19, four individuals were identified through screening at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.

The individuals likely traveled from China, but have no symptoms and are not from the Hubei province, where the virus was first detected, the JIC said.

The joint information center did not respond to questions about the locations of these individuals or whether they are residents or visitors, but said they pose no risk to the public.

There are currently no cases of COVID-19 in Hawaii, but as of Friday, 56 people across the state were self-monitoring, meaning that individuals voluntarily remain at home and refrain from work, school, gathering places and public transit, and communicate daily with state Department of Health staff.

Of those, 51 are on Oahu and one is on Maui, in addition to the four on the Big Island.

One person remains under quarantine at Pearl Harbor.

Common coronaviruses in humans usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of the newly identified virus include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing. At this time, the CDC believes symptoms might appear 2-14 days after exposure.