Hospital Treating Coronavirus Patients Taking 'Precautions'

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL — The Chicago-area hospital where a husband and wife, who became the first U.S. case in which coronavirus spread through person-to-person contact, is taking the necessary infection control precautions to "protect patients, associates and visitors." On Thursday, officials with Amita St. Alexius Center in Hoffman Estates said the man and woman, who are both in their 60s, are being monitored in isolation at the hospital.

The statement from the hospital came the same day health officials announced the husband had contracted the virus. He'd been monitored for novel coronavirus since Jan. 23, when his wife became the first confirmed case in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River and the second case in the country, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said.

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The husband was immediately admitted to St. Alexius in Hoffman Estates following the onset of his symptoms, according to a post on the hospital's Facebook page, and the husband and wife, who'd been in "close contact with each other," were being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"We have in place strict infection control precautions and protocols established by the CDC to protect patients, associates and visitors, "the hospital said. "We continue to fully care for the healthcare needs of our community. We ask for respect and privacy for our patients and staff at this time."

The man was in stable condition Thursday, and the woman is doing well, Arwady said. She stressed there is no threat to the public.

"We know coronaviruses are most likely to spread through close personal contact," she said at a news conference. "And we know that this new patient had close contact with his wife after she began to develop symptoms. So, it's not totally unexpected that he acquired the virus."

1st Human-To-Human Coronavirus Case, 21 Possible Cases In IL

Officials said the Chicago woman — but not her husband — had been in China's Wuhan region where the coronavirus outbreak occurred earlier this month. She arrived home, landing at O'Hare International Airport on Jan. 13 and started developing symptoms three to four days later, officials said.

Health care workers in the cases for the husband and wife are being monitored, along with their close contacts, Arwady said.

"We continue to gather information and clarify details, but we know already that just like his wife, he has not, for example, taken the L," she said. "He has not attended any large gatherings."

The dangerous viral infection can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia, health officials said. It has sickened thousands, mostly in China, and killed dozens. Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said officials are keeping tabs on more potential cases.

"Currently in Illinois, there are 21 individuals who are considered persons under investigation," Ezike said. "We could see more cases of individuals that have had close contact, but I still want to reassure the public we are actively monitoring these individuals and implementing transmission precautions to minimize the risk of spread."

Shannon Antinori contributed to this article.