First Case of Deadly Coronavirus Confirmed in US
The deadly, fast-spreading Wuhan coronavirus has now reportedly made its way to the United States.
According to The New York Times, a yet-unidentified Washington state resident has been hospitalized with the first confirmed stateside case of the SARS-like respiratory disease, which seems to have originated in China late last week.
Reports suggest the individual, who is said to be from Snohomish County, Washington, was admitted last week with pneumonia symptoms following a trip to the region surrounding Wuhan, some 500 miles from coastal Shanghai.
Health officials confirmed Monday afternoon, however, that the patient was in fact infected with “novel coronavirus” — otherwise known as 2019-nCoV.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have since that the patient, who is in his 30s, remains in good condition, NBC News reported.
The Emergency Committee on the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) will ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made to manage it pic.twitter.com/dFpOkM0CSN
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 20, 2020
Chinese and international health officials initially sought to downplay potential cause for panic last week, monitoring the situation and making the public aware as numerous cases of pneumonia began cropping up around Wuhan.
Official confirmation that the outbreak was caused by an unknown strain of coronavirus soon followed.
With more than 300 cases confirmed as of Tuesday, the World Health Organization announced it would be convening an emergency committee Wednesday to “ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made to manage it.”
The virus has now killed six people.
The genesis of the outbreak is believed to be a well-traveled, now-closed seafood and poultry market within Wuhan, a metropolitan center of roughly 11 million.
Officials suggested infections like coronavirus are generally transmitted from animals to humans.
Tensions have risen to a fever pitch, however, with reports of cases in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and America leading Chinese officials to announce the disease is transmissible from one human to another.
CDC continues to monitor this ongoing investigation to learn more about this rapidly evolving outbreak #coronavirus. #2019-nCoV https://t.co/57StqeW1Na https://t.co/KF8jWtH4eM
— CDC (@CDCgov) January 15, 2020
It is not yet known how easily the virus spreads between humans, but world health officials already pushed for serious precautions — particularly in the travel sector considering the outbreak corresponds with the Chinese Lunar New Year on Jan. 25.
The holiday will see many Chinese citizens traveling domestically, as well as abroad, to celebrate with family and friends.
As a result, the CDC has begun screening all passengers arriving in the U.S. from Wuhan at five major airports in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago. All flights originating in Wuhan have since been re-routed to those locations.
Regardless, the organization’s current Risk Assessment suggests the American public is not perceived to be at high risk regarding this new strain of coronavirus.
“While CDC considers this is a serious public health concern, based on current information, the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time,” CDC officials wrote.
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