Novel Coronavirus Patient Discharged From Everett Hospital

EVERETT, WA — The Snohomish County man diagnosed with the first known U.S. case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus last month was recently discharged from an Everett hospital, health officials announced Monday. The 35-year-old man released a statement to the media through the hospital, thanking his doctors and requesting privacy as he continues to be monitored by medical staff at home.

“I am at home and continuing to get better. I ask that the media please respect my privacy and my desire not to be in the public eye. I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and entire team at Providence who cared for me. I appreciate all of the concern expressed by members of the public, and I look forward to returning to my normal life.”

Hospital officials did not disclose the exact date of his release.

The man, who has not been identified, was transferred to Providence Regional Medical Center on Jan. 20, after the Centers for Disease Control confirmed his illness was a new respiratory virus associated with an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Health officials said he had returned from a trip to Wuhan shortly before symptoms began.

In the two weeks since, federal, state and local health officials have worked around the clock to monitor the man's illness and track down every person he potentially had contact with since returning to Washington. According to the state Department of Health, no other cases have been confirmed among the 22 people tested for the illness.

Cases of the respiratory virus continue to grow in China, surpassing 17,200 infections and 361 deaths, per an update provided Sunday. Millions of people in China's Hubei province remain under lockdown, with essentially all travel barred in the region. Since Sunday, all flights arriving in the U.S. from China are funneled through a handful of major airports, including Sea-Tac.

In the United States, 11 people in five states have been diagnosed with the virus, according to the CDC. No deaths have been reported domestically.

The Associated Press reports the Snohomish County man will continue to be monitored by health officials at his home.

Review the latest information on the coordinated response to 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States on the CDC website.

Learn more about Washington's efforts to monitor the virus on the state Department of Health website.