The first U.S. case of the deadly new Wuhan coronavirus has been confirmed by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control.
The victim is identified as a Snohomish County, Washington, resident, who returned last week from Wuhan. The man who is in 30s, is currently being treated at the Providence Regional Medical Center, and is in isolation.
According to the CDC, the patient returned from Wuhan on Jan. 15, 2020. Based on his travel history and symptoms, healthcare professionals suspected this new coronavirus. A specimen was collected and sent to CDC, where laboratory testing on Monday confirmed the diagnosis.
Besides opening its Seattle emergency response center, the CDC also announced screenings for the virus at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International.
»MORE: What is the Wuhan coronavirus?
Six deaths in China have already been linked to the coronavirus, with another 291 confirmed infections, the National Health Commission said Tuesday.
Initial symptoms of the new coronavirus include fever, cough, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath.
The first cases late last month were connected to a seafood market, and transmission was thought to be occurring from animals to humans. Authorities previously had not confirmed human-to-human transmission.
»MORE: Six dead, almost 300 infected in China by coronavirus
In addition to 258 cases in Wuhan, more than 20 have been diagnosed in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong province in the south and Zhejiang in the east. Four cases have been confirmed overseas among Chinese travelers in South Korea, Japan and Thailand.
A Taiwanese woman who just returned from Wuhan tested positive for the virus, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control reported Tuesday.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats, according to the CDC, which is working with the World Health Organization to monitor the outbreak.
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