NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A person in New York is the first to be tested for the new coronavirus in the city, health officials said Saturday.
The person is under 40 and is currently hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital after traveling from China.
He or she has a fever, cough and shortness of breath without another common cause like the flu or a cold identified by testing.
The patient met the criteria to have his or her samples sent to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, where the samples will be tested for the new virus.
Testing will take a minimum of 36 to 48 hours, health officials said.
The patient is currently in stable condition after reporting the illness to a doctor, who contacted city health officials.
“An individual with a travel history to China felt unwell and sought help from a medical provider who promptly contacted the Health Department,” Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said in a statement Saturday “This is exactly what we prepared for and we thank everyone for taking all the right steps. Reports of the first person being tested in New York City demonstrate that the system is working as intended.”
At a news conference Saturday evening, Mayor Bill de Blasio stressed that the case is not yet confirmed.
"We will in the next 48 hours, hopefully sooner, get results back from the testing of this individual. If this is a positive case we will confirm that publicly, right away, and the individual will be treated until they’re at a point they’re not symptomatic and contagious," the mayor said.
De Blasio said it's understandable people are afraid given that the World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak a "health emergency."
"This is very frightening, but it's not Ebola," the mayor said, comparing it to the Ebola outbreak scares around 2014.
Commissioner Barbot said that the patient is "doing well" at Bellevue and that the person went to the hospital soon after he or she became symptomatic.
"This individual did what we have been asking New Yorkers to do, which is if you’ve traveled to affected areas in China within the last 14 days and you have symptoms – fever, cough, shortness of breath or you’re feeling unwell – to contact your doctor or seek care in an emergency department,” Barbot said.
Barbot said the virus is most likely to spread in homes or apartments, where people are in close proximity for extended periods.
"This isn’t something you’re going to get in the subway," she said.
Meanwhile, the first case of the coronavirus has been confirmed on the East Coast—a man who traveled from China to Massachusetts.
The man is in his 20s and lives in Boston, according to the Boston Herald. He recently returned from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission Friday night.
“Our priority is not only to protect and inform the residents of Boston but also to help this man continue to recover,” said BPHC Executive Director Rita Nieves. "We are pleased that he is doing well."
The man has reportedly been isolated and those he was in contact are being monitored for any symptoms of the virus.
There are seven other U.S. cases: three in California, one in Washington state, one in Arizona and two in Chicago.
In Flushing, Queens, on Saturday, vendors were selling face masks on nearly every corner in one of New York's largest Asian-American communities. Some shopkeepers complained that their sales were down, possibly over fears of the coronavirus.
"At least they're taking all the measures to contain it in China, so let's hope they keep doing the same thing here," one shopkeeper said.
Flushing leaders urged people not to discriminate against Chinese people, saying that the nearest case of coronavirus is hundreds of miles away in Massachusetts.
The number of infected in China is nearly 12,000 people. More than 250 have died there.
The virus’ rapid spread in two months prompted the World Health Organization on Thursday to declare it a global emergency.
That declaration “flipped the switch” from a cautious attitude to recommending governments prepare for the possibility the virus might spread, said the WHO representative in Beijing, Gauden Galea. Most cases reported so far have been people who visited China or their family members.
The agency acted out of concern for poorer countries that might not be equipped to respond, said Galea. Such a declaration calls for a coordinated international response and can bring more money and resources.
WHO said it was especially concerned that some cases abroad involved human-to-human transmission.
“Countries need to get ready for possible importation in order to identify cases as early as possible and in order to be ready for a domestic outbreak control, if that happens,” Galea told The Associated Press.
On Friday, the United States declared a public health emergency and President Donald Trump signed an order barring entry to foreign nationals who visited China within the last 14 days, which scientists say is the virus' longest incubation period. The restrictions don't apply to immediate family of American citizens and permanent residents.
China criticized the U.S. controls and “unfriendly comments” that Beijing was failing to cooperate.
“Just as the WHO recommended against travel restrictions, the U.S. rushed to go in the opposite way. Certainly not a gesture of goodwill,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.