IL's 3rd Coronavirus Patient Being Treated In Arlington Heights

COOK COUNTY, IL — Hospital officials announced Monday that the state's third patient to test positive for COVID-19 is being treated at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, according to WLS-TV. Hospital officials said they are working closely with the CDC, Cook County Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health, the news report said.

The news comes less than 48 hours after Illinois officials said the state's third case of COVID-19 was confirmed, and the Trump administration announced new travel restrictions amid a global outbreak of the new coronavirus. An outbreak in Italy has also prompted Loyola University to announce it is bringing students studying abroad in Rome back home over health concerns.

The third Cook County patient tested positive for the virus, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Saturday. The test was conducted in-state, as Illinois is the first state to establish its own testing for the new coronavirus, and will still need to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

IDPH said the patient is hospitalized in isolation, and CDC protocols are being followed. State health officials are working to identify and monitor anyone who came into contact with the patient to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission.

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Illinois had two previous confirmed cases of COVID-19, a Chicago woman and her husband, both in their 60s. The woman was diagnosed after arriving home to Chicago in January from traveling to Wuhan, China. Her husband became the first human-to-human coronavirus case in the United States.

The woman and her husband, who were treated at a suburban hospital before being released to home isolation, have since recovered completely and have been released from isolation.

News of the third Illinois coronavirus patient came the same day the U.S. marked its first death from the virus: a Washington state man in his 50s who also suffered from chronic illness.

IDPH on Friday said a total of 76 patients have been tested for coronavirus in Illinois. So far just three have tested positive, with results on several additional patients pending.

Coronavirus expected to spread

If confirmed by the CDC, the new Illinois coronavirus patient would bring the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. to 23. Nearly 460 people have been tested, according to the CDC.

President Donald Trump spoke about the coronavirus outbreak Saturday, urging residents not to panic, saying, "If you are healthy, you will probably go through a process and you'll be fine," Politico reported.

Also Saturday, the White House imposed new travel restrictions, elevating travel warnings to regions of Italy and South Korea and banning travel to Iran.

The growing outbreak in Italy prompted Loyola University to bring home study abroad students who are in Rome. Norberto Grzywacz, provost and chief academic officer, shared a letter from Loyola Rome Center Director Michael F. Andrews.

"With our students' well-being at the forefront of our decision-making and the newest directive from the U.S. government, Loyola University Chicago has decided to repatriate students studying in Italy," the letter said, noting that Loyola is asking all students to return home by March 4. When students arrive home to Chicago, they will be required to quarantine for two weeks, the letter says, adding, "Based on evolving U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, students re-entering the U.S. are required to stay in place at home for a 14-day observation period. In the event that any symptoms are noticed, students should seek immediate medical attention."

The virus — which originated in Wuhan, China — has infected at least 83,600 people, and 2,800 people have died, creating a global pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. It is spreading so quickly overseas that infectious disease experts and scientists warn there may be no way to contain it.

Earlier this week, a top official at the CDC said during a news conference it's only a matter of time before the new coronavirus spreads to communities across the United States. Communities, schools and businesses should begin preparing now for "the expectation that this could be bad," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease.

What is the new coronavirus?

The symptoms of the new coronavirus are similar to seasonal influenza, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Both are infectious respiratory illnesses, but they're caused by different viruses.

Both cause fever, cough, body aches and fatigue, and both can result in pneumonia. Both illnesses can sometimes cause vomiting and diarrhea and can be spread from person to person by sneezing, coughing or talking.

Common good-health practices such as frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and staying home from work or school while sick can help control both illnesses.

Neither respond to antibiotic treatment, but both may be treated by addressing symptoms, such as reducing fever.

Both illnesses can be severe enough to require hospitalization.
But there are some distinct differences between the two: Flu is caused by several types of viruses, while COVID-19 is caused by the new coronavirus, which is also called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.

Johns Hopkins says there is some evidence COVID-19 could be airborne, "meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer near."

There is no vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus as there is against influenza. Scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine for the new coronavirus, although none currently exists.

A company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has shipped vials of its novel coronavirus vaccine to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for further research.

Megan VerHelst, Patch Staff, contributed