The case was confirmed in a man in Boston.
February 1, 2020, 6:23 PM
5 min read
Massachusetts health officials reported the state's first confirmed case of coronavirus, putting the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. at eight.
The man, who is in his 20s, had recently traveled to Wuhan, China, and sought medical care soon after returning home, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said he is recovering and was grateful that he sought medical attention immediately.
She said that while the state has been preparing for a possible case, the risk to the public "remains low in Massachusetts."
An illustration released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 29, 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). It was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.
An illustration released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 29, 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). It was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.Handout/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via Reuters
The new case in the U.S. comes a day after Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared a public health emergency in the country at a White House press briefing on coronavirus.
The eight cases in the U.S. include seven in travelers and one a human-to-human transmission between a husband and wife.
In China, there have been 11,821 confirmed cases as of Saturday and 259 people have died. Outside of China, 170 cases have been confirmed in 25 countries.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Robert Redfield and members of the Trump Administration's Coronavirus Task Force hold a press briefing on a federal quarantine order in the White House Briefing Room on Ja, 31, 2020, in Washington.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Robert Redfield and members of the Trump Administration's Coronavirus Task Force hold a press briefing on a federal quarantine order in the White House Briefing Room on Ja, 31, 2020, in Washington.Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
U.S. citizens returning from Hubei province in the previous 14 days will be subject to up to a 14-day quarantine. Foreign nationals, other than immediate family members of U.S. citizens who have traveled to China in the previous 14 days, will be denied entry into the country. The temporary measures take effect Feb. 2 at 5 p.m.
Americans who've traveled to other parts of China in the previous 14 days will be subject to a health screening upon entry and asked to self-quarantine for up to 14 days.
A handout from the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC), China CDC, on Jan. 27, 2020, shows a Transmission Electron Microscopy image of the first new type of coronavirus isolated from environmental samples, named C-F13-nCoV Wuhan strain 02.
A handout from the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC), China CDC, on Jan. 27, 2020, shows a Transmission Electron Microscopy image of the first new type of coronavirus isolated from environmental samples, named C-F13-nCoV Wuhan strain 02.IVDC China CDC Handout/EPA via Shutterstock
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a federal quarantine order for all 195 people who were evacuated from China and have been voluntarily quarantined at a military base in California.
Americans should not let panic or fear guide their actions, according to the CDC, who recommended that the general public does not need to wear face masks.
