The first coronavirus was reported in the U.S. on Tuesday when a man in his 30s fell ill after returning to his home state of Washington on Jan. 15. He also traveled to Wuhan but did not visit the seafood market where the outbreak was said to have started, according to the CDC. He did not have symptoms when he landed in the U.S. but read about the virus. He went to the hospital when symptoms did start to emerge, officials said.
That patient remained in the hospital Friday “out of an abundance of caution,” health officials said, and they are keeping a close watch on 43 people who came into contact with the Washington patient. The 43 have not been quarantined but were asked to watch for symptoms and take their temperatures daily.
A second U.S. case was confirmed Friday when a 60-year-old woman was hospitalized in Chicago after returning from a trip to Wuhan, China, on Jan. 13. She did not show symptoms during her travels, according to the CDC.
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said earlier in the week that the risk to the American public was low. Severe cases have been limited to older adults or those with existing health problems.
Still, health officials in the U.S. are taking precautions to stop the virus from spreading, including screening airline passengers who arrive from China.