CDC confirms first case of person-to-person transmission of coronavirus in US

USA: The CDC has confirmed person-to-person transmission of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the US, representing the first such case of the person-to-person spread of the virus here in the US. The virus has already been reported to kill at least 171 people in China and infected more than 8,200 since its emergence in December 2019. 

In this latest case, a Chicago man in his 60s with no history of travel to Wuhan, China has been affected by the virus through his wife who had tested positive for 2019-nCoV after returning from Wuhan. For now, both the patients are said to be in stable condition. 

Previously, all confirmed U.S. cases had been associated with travel to Wuhan, China, where an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by this novel coronavirus has been ongoing since December 2019. Recognizing early on that the 2019-nCoV could potentially spread between people, CDC has been working closely with state and local partners to identify close contacts of confirmed 2019-nCoV cases. Public health officials identified this Illinois resident through contact tracing.

"Given what we've seen in China and other countries with the novel coronavirus, CDC experts have expected some person-to-person spread in the US," said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. in a press release.  "We understand that this may be concerning, but based on what we know now, we still believe the immediate risk to the American public is low."

Limited person-to-person spread with 2019-nCoV has been seen among close contacts of infected travelers in other countries where imported cases from China have been detected. The full picture of how easily and sustainably the 2019-nCoV spreads is still unclear. Person-to-person spread can happen on a continuum, with some viruses being highly contagious (like measles) and other viruses being less so.

Coronaviruses (nCoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death. CDC has been proactively preparing for the introduction of 2019-nCoV in the U.S. for weeks, including: