CDC confirms first U.S. case of coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the United States. A man in his 30s returned to Seattle, Washington, from traveling in Wuhan, China, with pneumonia-like symptoms, the CDC announced Tuesday.

“Based on the patient’s travel history and symptoms, healthcare professionals suspected this new coronavirus. A clinical specimen was collected and sent to CDC overnight, where laboratory testing yesterday confirmed the diagnosis,” according to a CDC press release. 

The man is being treated at a hospital in Everett, outside Seattle, and is in good condition, The Associated Press reported.

The virus was originally thought to be spreading from animals to people, but CDC officials now say there is evidence that “limited person-to-person spread is happening.” Six deaths from the virus have been confirmed so far.

Last month, patients experiencing fever, cough, and difficulty breathing began cropping up in Wuhan, in central China. More than 275 cases have now been confirmed in China, according to the World Health Organization.