Health officials on Thursday reported the first person-to-person spread of coronavirus in the United States, raising the nation’s total number of cases to the six.
The new case, identified in Chicago, is the husband of a woman who sickened after returning from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, on Jan. 13. Both patients, in their 60s, are hospitalized.
While worrisome, this news does not mean that the new virus will spread to people who have not recently traveled to Hubei Province, China, or have close contact with a traveler to this region, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Based on what we know now, the risk to the American public is low,” said virologist Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, in a Thursday press briefing.
No new cases have been reported in California. People in close contact with the state’s two known patients — one in Los Angeles and the second in Orange County — are being closely monitored.
In Riverside, the 195 Wuhan-based U.S. government employees and their families who arrived at the March Air Reserve Base on Wednesday are being monitored and screened for symptoms, according to the CDC. They will be isolated at the base for several days after their airlift from Wuhan, following the closure of the U.S. consulate there.
Health experts do not recommend the use of face masks for the general public, because it is not spreading in the wider community.
They also do not recommend additional precautions, such as canceling activities or staying home.
The Chicago infection was transmitted “between two very close contacts: a wife and husband. The virus is not spreading widely across the community,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The husband, hospitalized in stable condition, had pre-existing health problems. His wife is recovering.
In China, more than 7,700 people have been sickened and 170 have died. Most of the deaths occurred in Hubei Province, the center of the outbreak.
While nearly 20 other nations have reported new infections, most cases are in travelers from Wuhan. In those nations, there has been little local spread of the virus to others.
The symptoms of coronavirus infection are fever, cough and shortness of breath.
While they are shared with the symptoms of influenza, the two risk factors are very specific: recent travel to China’s Hubei Province or close contact with a friend or family member who has recently traveled to Hubei Province.
Influenza has sickened between 15 and 21 million and hospitalized 70,000 Americans so far this season.
As with any virus, especially during the flu season, the California Department of Public Health reminds people to:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Stay away from work, school or other people to avoid spreading illnesses.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (cell phone, keyboard).
