O'Hare Screening For Wuhan Coronavirus After Hundreds Sickened, Six Die In Asia
CHICAGO (CBS/CNN) --The United States has its first confirmed case of a new virus that appeared in Wuhan, China, last month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday. The virus has already sickened hundreds and killed six people in Asia.
The male patient is in isolation at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. He is a resident of Snohomish County in Washington.
The man traveled from Wuhan to Washington, but said he did not attend the animal markets where many of the patients were infected.
Officials are compiling a list of people the patient may have had contact with since his return to the United States. The Wuhan virus can spread person to person, but not nearly as easily as viruses such as measles or influenza.
A man who lives in Snohomish County, Washington, is confirmed to have the first US case of Wuhan coronavirus https://t.co/Kmw7EEW72g pic.twitter.com/JbaRGMDZpA
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 21, 2020
The CDC is not identifying the patient.
The CDC announced on Tuesday that it will start screening passengers flying directly or indirectly from Wuhan to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
According to Northwestern University infectious disease specialist Dr. Robert Murphy, the spread of this disease will be disastrous.
"Basically, this is the next SARS and there is no treatment. It isn't routinely diagnosed, it can be transmitted person to person and it can kill you. Treatment is just supportive. Approximately 1,000 people died from SARS, and it would not surprise me if the same happens here. The U.S. is totally unprepared for handling this epidemic."
In response to an outbreak in China caused by a novel (new) coronavirus, CDC will begin health screenings of travelers arriving from #Wuhan, China at 3 US airports. https://t.co/Ovg4CTFJWf #novelcoronavirus #2019nCoV pic.twitter.com/gwWLUCCbky
— CDC (@CDCgov) January 17, 2020
On January 17, the CDC began screening passengers arriving from Wuhan to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, followed by Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.
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