Airline Flags Passenger At BWI For Possible Coronoavirus Exposure

HANOVER, MD — An ill passenger aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 2889 that arrived at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport this weekend was met by medical personnel taking precautionary measures for fear that the passenger was infected with novel coronavirus.

The passenger in question had recently traveled from Beijing, China, and was experiencing flu-like symptoms, WJLA reported. However, the Maryland Health Department said after the passenger had been evaluated Saturday that the patient's symptoms did not meet the Centers for Disease Control's criteria for novel coronavirus testing.

"Out of an abundance of caution, and in light of the recent concerns of the coronavirus, our crew followed recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control for responding to concerns to ensure the customer, and those traveling with them, receive the assistance or support they may need," a spokesperson with Southwest Airlines told NBC.

A video shared with NBC from a passenger who was on the flight shows other passengers wearing masks over their mouths.

"Because of this heightened time, we are just using an abundance of caution," a health official can be heard telling the passengers in the video.

According to the health department, the passenger in question had been screened and cleared in Mexico and Las Vegas prior to arriving in Maryland.

As of Jan. 26, four cases of the deadly illness have been confirmed in the United States and possible cases are being investigated in several states, including three in Virginia. The death toll in China from the virus has risen to 56. As of Sunday afternoon, four U.S. cases have been confirmed in Chicago, Washington state and two in southern California.

If you traveled to Wuhan, China, or other areas impacted by 2019-nCoV, monitor for symptoms of fever, cough or difficulty breathing for 14 days after your return. If you do feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing during that 14 days, you should:

• Seek medical care right away. Before you go to a doctor's office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
• Avoid contact with others.
• Not travel while sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Commonly reported symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection include:

While the influenza vaccine does not protect against coronavirus infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.

Clinicians in Maryland who see a patient who shows signs of the coronavirus should obtain a detailed travel history for patients with fever and acute respiratory illness.

If a patient meets the criteria of a patient under investigation in association with the outbreak of the coronavirus:

• Ask the patient to wear a surgical mask.
• Evaluate the patient in a private room with the door closed, ideally in an airborne infection
• isolation room if available.
• Use standard, contact and airborne precautions, and eye protection (e.g., goggles or face shield).

At this time, only the CDC laboratories in Atlanta have the capabilities to test for the coronavirus, though it is expected that state public health laboratories will be able to test soon.

Researchers around the globe are still determining precisely how the virus spreads. Many patients in the Wuhan outbreak had visited a large seafood and animal market, but a growing number of patients have no connection.

See More:

• What Is A Novel Coronavirus? Health Officials Explain
• Coronavirus Alert: What MD Health-Care Workers Need To Know