A case of coronavirus was confirmed in Wisconsin, bringing the total number of those infected in the United States to 12.
The infected person is an unidentified Wisconsin resident who recently traveled to Beijing before becoming sick, according to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The patient has been quarantined at home and is “doing well.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with Wisconsin authorities to evaluate any contacts the man might have had with others, including health officials who initially cared for the patient.
“DHS is operating with an abundance of caution and is working very closely with the local health department and UW Hospital and Clinics to ensure that this patient and any close contacts are closely monitored,” said state health officer Jeanne Ayers.
“The risk of getting sick from 2019 novel coronavirus in Wisconsin is very low,” Ayers continued. “We are responding aggressively to the situation and monitoring all developments. We are committed to keeping the public fully informed and will continue to provide updates as this situation unfolds.”
Other cases in the U.S. include six in California, two in Illinois, and one each in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington state.
The disease has spread to almost 25,000 people worldwide and killed nearly 500 people. The rapidly growing coronavirus has killed more people in China than the SARS outbreak of 2002-03, fueling fears of a global pandemic. About 2% of those infected with coronavirus have died, compared to 9.6% who died after contracting SARS.
The outbreak has particularly impacted the Hubei province of China and the city of Wuhan, where the virus developed. China has had to convert sports halls into temporary hospitals as a way to care for those affected.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global public health emergency.
