Possible First Coronavirus Case Identified In New York City

NEW YORK CITY — City health officials confirmed Saturday that an individual has been hospitalized and is undergoing testing at Bellevue Health Center for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. This is the first person in New York City suspected of having the virus that's killed nearly 260 people in the Hubei province of China.

The individual was identified as possibly having the virus because they recently traveled from China and presented with fever, cough or shortness of breath without having the flu or a cold virus, health officials said in a news release.

According to the health department, the individual is under 40 years old and is in stable condition. Testing to determine whether this is a confirmed case of coronavirus will take a minimum of 36 to 48 hours and depends on CDC testing capacity, health officials said in the release.

There are now eight confirmed cases in the United States and over 12,000 worldwide.

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus is a strain of coronavirus that was never previously detected in humans. This coronavirus can lead to symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath. While some infections have resulted in severe illness and even death, others often present with milder symptoms.

For more information about coronavirus, visit the New York City Heath Department website at nyc.gov/health.

RELATED:

Coronavirus And New York: 5 Things To Know

Coronavirus Prompts Mandatory Quarantines, Travel Ban: Report

Coronavirus Declared A Global Health Emergency By WHO: Reports