NJ patient doesn't have deadly coronavirus, hospital says
WOODLAND PARK, N.J. – A patient at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey who was evaluated Thursday night for possible infection with the coronavirus that has caused worldwide concern of a possible epidemic was determined not to have the disease, the hospital said.
“After an evaluation of the patient and consulting with the State Department of Health, experts have determined the patient does not have the Wuhan coronavirus," Nancy Radwin, a hospital spokeswoman, said in a statement issued at 10:55 p.m. ET.
The patient, a 25-year-old woman, was transported to the hospital Thursday evening by the Edgewater Emergency Medical Services, according to EMS sources. The hospital said it would provide no further information about her condition, to protect her privacy.
Guidelines issued by the state Department of Health on Wednesday said respiratory samples would be sent to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to test for the new coronavirus only with the approval of the department.
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To be tested, the patient must have a fever of 100.4 degrees or more, symptoms of lower respiratory illness such as a cough and shortness of breath, and a history of travel from Wuhan, China, within the previous two weeks or close contact with a person under investigation for infection with the virus while that person was ill.
During the period while information was being gathered about the patient, the hospital followed strict infection control measures as a precaution, a spokesman for the state Health Department said.
No information was available about whether the patient had traveled from China, or what her symptoms were.
The new type of virus has sickened more than 800 people in China, most in the central city of Wuhan. It causes respiratory illness, including pneumonia, and has spread to other cities in China as well as to Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and other countries. Authorities said 25 deaths have been reported, most among people with underlying medical conditions.
On Wednesday, the CDC confirmed the first case in the United States, in a resident of Snohomish County, Washington, who had returned from a trip to Wuhan.
A student at Texas A&M University who had returned from a visit to Wuhan and complained of respiratory illness was reportedly being evaluated for coronavirus Thursday. The student had very mild symptoms and was being quarantined at home, a county health official said at an afternoon news conference.
New or novel viruses are of concern because humans lack immunity to them and there are no vaccines or specific treatments. The patients have been treated with supportive care.
The disease originated in a fish and animal market in Wuhan, and was believed to have been transmitted from animals to humans. The extent of human-to-human transmission is still unknown.
Screening of arriving passengers for possible infection with the virus started last week at five U.S. airports – John F. Kennedy International in New York, San Francisco International, Los Angeles International, Chicago O'Hare and Atlanta Hartsfield.
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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Coronavirus: NJ patient doesn't have deadly China virus, hospital says
