SEATTLE _ A Snohomish County man who was diagnosed Monday with the newly discovered Wuhan coronavirus after a trip to China had close contact with at least 16 people after arriving at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Jan. 15, health officials said Wednesday afternoon.
The man has the United States' first confirmed case of the mysterious respiratory infection, which has killed at least 17 people and infected hundreds. In addition to Wuhan, China, patients have been identified in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and South Korea.
The patient, a man in his 30s who lives alone, had been traveling solo in Wuhan since November. He started feeling symptoms of pneumonia several days after returning to Washington state. He has been hospitalized at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett since Sunday, and is being monitored in a special isolation unit. He is in satisfactory condition.
Public-health officials aren't disclosing where the patient went after his return to Washington; instead, officials are opting to directly contact specific people believed to have been near the man during that time. "If there is a location where we are concerned about potential transmission but Public Health cannot contact the individuals individually," the agency will announce that location, said Dr. Chris Spitters, interim health officer for the Snohomish Health District.
The 16 people are in "active monitoring," which means public health workers are contacting them daily to find out if they are experiencing any symptoms such as a fever or respiratory issues, said Dr. John Wiesman, the state's health officer, at a news conference Wednesday.
Health officials from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the news conference wouldn't say where the Snohomish County patient flew through to get from Wuhan to Seattle but that the CDC, the airlines and state health departments are working to contact those who came into close contact with the man on his flights.
Because the virus from Wuhan is a coronavirus, health officials have an idea of how it will behave. Coronaviruses usually aren't contagious until someone begins showing symptoms, said Dr. Satish Pillai, a medical officer with the CDC, who is in Washington to help with the response.
How a coronavirus is transmitted is different when compared to something like measles, which is highly contagious, Wiesman said.
"You essentially have to be in contact with somebody, within 6 feet, and they have to have enough contact with you so that droplets are essentially coming on to you," he said.
The CDC has updated its travel health notice from a 1 to 2, which urges travelers to practice enhanced precautions when traveling in Wuhan, Pillai said.
Coronaviruses can be spread from animal to human, and it is believed the virus made the jump at an animal market in Wuhan. The Snohomish County man told health officials that he didn't visit an animal market while in Wuhan and wasn't in contact with anyone he knew to be ill.
Wiesman urges anyone who traveled to Wuhan the past couple of months to contact their doctor or local public health department.
Chinese authorities announced that beginning Thursday no trains or planes will be allowed into Wuhan and that all bus, train and ferry services will be halted. Any air travel from Wuhan is being funneled through Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Passengers on those flights will be screened before boarding connecting flights or leaving the airports.
No other cases have been reported in Washington, and nobody has been tested for the virus, Wiesman said.
Despite no other cases, Wiesman said he wouldn't be surprised if more people are sickened. "I would expect at some point we are going to have more cases in the U.S.," Wiesman said
To protect against the virus it is suggested that the public treat it like the flu and wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, and stay home from work or school if symptoms are showing, Wiesman said.
The county health district has set up a call center where people can ask questions about the coronavirus. The number is 425-388-5088. The call center will be staffed 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
