U.S. health officials confirm first U.S. case of China coronavirus

[webfact]

U.S. health officials confirm first U.S. case of China coronavirus

By Julie Steenhuysen

 

FILE PHOTO: A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan, January 20, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - A U.S. resident who recently traveled to China has been diagnosed with the newly identified coronavirus that has sickened more than 300 people and killed at least six in China, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.

 

CDC officials said it is preparing for more U.S. cases of the coronavirus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and raised its travel alert for Wuhan to a level 2, calling for enhanced precautions. Under that alert level, the CDC recommends travelers to Wuhan should avoid contact with sick people, animals or animal markets.

 

"We do expect additional cases in the United States and globally," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a CDC respiratory diseases expert said on a conference call with reporters.

 

CDC officials said they have begun tracking down individuals who came in contact with the patient to check them for symptoms.

 

Last week, the CDC began screening travelers from China at U.S. airports in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. On Tuesday, the agency said it will expand screening for the virus to the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta and O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

 

Besides the United States, cases outside of China have been reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan.

 

On the call, CDC officials said they have screened more than 1,200 passengers since those efforts began on Jan. 17. None of those individuals have been sent on for additional testing.

 

The U.S. traveler from Washington state had returned on Jan. 15, arriving at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which is not on the U.S. list for enhanced screening.

 

The patient sought care at a medical facility in Everett, Washington, and was treated for the illness. Based on his travel history and symptoms, healthcare professionals suspected the new coronavirus.

 

Specimens were taken from the patient and sent to the CDC for testing. The CDC said it has developed a new test that allowed it to identify the presence of the virus in a traveler.

 

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Bill Berkrot)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-22

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[Rhys]

Like the novels....

[Emdog]

"The U.S. traveler from Washington state had returned on Jan. 15, arriving at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which is not on the U.S. list for enhanced screening."

When I saw Seattle was not included on list of airports having screenings, my first thoughts included "What? Are they insane?".

Plenty of flights from Asia go through Sea-Tac. It's my airport of choice during my yearly visits to USA.

Here we go...

[nobodysfriend]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

We do expect additional cases in the United States and globally,

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Besides the United States, cases outside of China have been reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan.

Thailand always wants more chinese tourists ... be careful what you wish for , Thailand ... once many people in Thailand get infected , Tourists will not want come any more .

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[ChipButty]

Wuhan is QUARANTINED: Ground zero for deadly coronavirus halts all travel in AND out of the city after the CDC begins screening at five US airports as the disease MUTATES after killing 17 and infecting up to 10,000