New York City Reports 2 New Possible Cases of Coronavirus

Frank Fang
By Frank Fang
February 3, 2020COVID-19
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New York City Reports 2 New Possible Cases of Coronavirus
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to the media during a press conference at City Hall on Jan. 3, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)

New York City health officials said they were testing two new patients as suspected cases of coronavirus on Feb. 2, bringing the municipal total for patients being checked for the virus to three.

Both patients, who are over 60 years old, recently arrived from China and have a “fever and cough or shortness of breath without another common cause, like influenza and other cold viruses,” stated the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in a press release.

It’s is not known if both patients had recently traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak and a city located in central China’s Hubei Province.

One patient is now being hospitalized at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, while the other at New York-Presbyterian Queens.

It will take a minimum of 36 to 48 hours to determine if the two patients have coronavirus, according to the press release.

“With the best public health system in the world, New York City stands ready to respond to any confirmed cases of the coronavirus,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

He added: “I urge all New Yorkers to remain vigilant, and if you or anyone you know matches the criteria and have recently traveled to the affected areas of China, please see a medical professional.”

The first suspected case in New York City was reported by local health officials on Feb. 1. The patient, who is under 40, also traveled to China recently. The patient is being treated at Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital.

“We are continuing to work closely with our partners at the CDC, state, and federal government as the coronavirus situation evolves,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.

Barbot added that anyone who has been to areas affected by the outbreak in the past two weeks and are feeling unwell should call a doctor or visit a clinic.

Scientists say the coronavirus has an incubation period—the period between exposure and the onset of symptoms—of up to 14 days.

In the United States, there are now 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with the latest three cases being identified in California, according to Reuters.

The 9th case involved a woman in Santa Clara County, California, who is now in isolation at the home of a family she is staying with. The woman, who was not sick enough to be hospitalized, recently traveled to Wuhan.

Two recent cases involved a married couple in San Benito County, California. The husband recently went to Wuhan and apparently passed on the virus to his wife. Neither is hospitalized, according to local health officials.

The novel coronavirus has spread to more than 20 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and the Middle East.

Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Australia have the most confirmed cases outside of China, with 20, 19, 18, 15, 14, and 12 cases, respectively.

So far, the only death from the virus reported outside of China happened in the Philippines. The victim was a Chinese national from Wuhan and not a local.

From The Epoch Times

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