New York City has identified its first potential case of coronavirus as an individual under 40 who is being treated at Bellevue Hospital Center.
“An individual with a travel history to China felt unwell and sought help from a medical provider who promptly contacted the Health Department. This is exactly what we prepared for and we thank everyone for taking all the right steps,” said Dr. Oxiris Barbot, the city's health commissioner. “Reports of the first person being tested in New York City demonstrate that the system is working as intended.”
The patient was said to be in stable condition.
All testing for the coronavirus, which is a new strain discovered in Wuhan, China, is being performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 11 other people in the state have been tested to date. While some tests are still pending, there have not been any confirmed cases as of Saturday.
According to a press release from the Department of Health, testing will take a minimum of 36-48 hours and depend on the CDC's testing capacity. The person in New York City had met the criteria to qualify for testing, meaning that they had recently traveled from China and had symptoms of a fever and cough or shortness of breath. Doctors had also ruled out other causes like influenza and other cold viruses.
Across the United States, there are now eight confirmed cases and over 12,000 worldwide. The overwhelming majority of infections have been in China. At least 259 people have died, all in China.
City officials have been bracing for a potential case. New York City has the largest community of Chinese outside of Asia. As conditions in China have worsened, there have been signs of panic and misinformation in recent days, with local pharmacies running out of face masks and at least two false reports.
"The person did exactly what they should have done: they came into the hospital after exhibiting symptoms and is being treated by medical professionals," said Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a statement. "If you have visited China and have flu-like symptoms, please see a doctor right away.”
De Blasio had previously said it was only a matter of time before New York City had its first case.
Massachusetts officials on Saturday announced its first confirmed case of the virus: a university student who recently returned to Boston from Wuhan, China.
