A mysterious virus that was first reported in China has now infected five people in the United States.
Californian health agencies announced on Sunday that two separate cases of the coronavirus have popped up in patients in Los Angeles County and Orange County, while another was confirmed in Arizona. The infection was first found in Wuhan, China.
The three new cases make five confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. The two other patients with coronavirus are in Illinois and Washington state.
The Virginia Department of Health also announced Sunday that it is investigating three patients with potential cases of the coronavirus. In a phone call with reporters on Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is investigating more than 100 reports of potential coronavirus patients in the U.S.
“[We’re] getting calls all day, all night, and that’s what we want,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We want people to have a high index of suspicion and call if they have a patient they are concerned about.”
The coronavirus has killed 56 people and infected nearly 2,000 others in China. The Chinese government has put about 50 million people on lockdown, shutting down all forms of transportation and roads in and around Wuhan, itself home to about 11 million people.
Cases of the virus have been reported across the world in other countries such as France and the United Kingdom. The U.S. State Department intends to evacuate about 230 diplomats, officials, and American citizens out of Wuhan on a charter flight Tuesday. The U.S. Embassy in Wuhan said it would work with the estimated 11,000 Americans living in the area to get out.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made a similar offer to Japanese citizens living in and around Wuhan, volunteering the government to shuttle people to Japan for free.
