Coronavirus spreads to US, Centers for Disease Control reports first case
The United States has confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus on its territory. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said the virus, which originated in China, had been diagnosed in a US resident who arrived in Seattle from China.
FollowNew York: The first case of coronavirus, which has claimed the lives of six people in Asia, has been detected in the US, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention announced on Tuesday.
The virus from the Chinese city of Wuhan has spread to six cities in four Asian countries and has infected almost 300 people.
The United States has its first confirmed case in a male patient, who travelled from Wuhan to Washington and is being kept in isolation at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett.
CNN quoted him as saying that he did not attend the animal markets in the Chinese city where many of the patients were infected.
"The patient sought care at a medical facility in the state of Washington, where the patient was treated for the illness," the CDC said in a statement.
"Based on the patient's travel history and symptoms, healthcare professionals suspected this new coronavirus."
“Laboratory testing of a clinical specimen confirmed the diagnosis on 20 January,” the CDC statement continued.
North Korea has banned entry of all foreigners as a precautionary measure to keep away from the coronavirus.
The announcement that North Korea was barring entry to foreign tourists came from Young Pioneer Tours, which is based in China and specialises in travel to North Korea said a report by BBC.
The company said in a statement that North Korea was implementing a temporary ban as a precaution.
"Further details are yet to be confirmed by our travel partners in North Korea and we will continue to make all future announcements on our website," Young Pioneer Tours said.
The virus can spread from person to person, though not nearly as easily as viruses such as measles or influenza.
This comes even as Chinese healthcare authorities said that 291 confirmed cases of coronavirus-related pneumonia and 54 suspected cases had been reported in the country by the end of Monday.
Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered resolute efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus that causes pneumonia.
