First Coronavirus Case Confirmed In Wisconsin; 12th In U.S.

The first case of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus has been confirmed in Wisconsin, the state's department of health services confirmed Wednesday afternoon. The Wisconsin case brings the number of confirmed cases in the United States to 12.

According to the latest information on the department's website, there are two cases pending for testing for the new coronavirus. At least seven others tested in Wisconsin have tested negative for the virus, which originated in Wuhan, China.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 11 other confirmed cases of the virus are in Washington, California, Arizona, Massachusetts and Illinois.

The state department of health services said the risk to the general public for contracting the virus remains low.

The patient in Wisconsin who tested positive is an adult who traveled to Beijing before being infected and was exposed to known cases in China, the department said. Officials said the person is isolated at their home and is doing well.

While stressing that the risk to the general public remains low, the department said health officials are working together to prevent the disease being transmitted further by evaluating close contact of the patient and any health care personnel who cared for the patient.

"DHS is operating with an abundance of caution and is working very closely with the local health department and UW Hospital and Clinics to ensure that this patient and any close contacts are closely monitored," State Health Officer Jeanne Ayers said in a press release.

"The risk of getting sick from 2019 novel coronavirus in Wisconsin is very low. We are responding aggressively to the situation and monitoring all developments. We are committed to keeping the public fully informed and will continue to provide updates as this situation unfolds."

The outbreak has killed nearly 500 people in China and thousands have been infected, according to The New York Times.

Since the outbreak, federal health officials have recommended that travelers void all nonessential travel to China.

When the outbreak started, many of the patients had a link to a large seafood and animal market, which suggested a spread of the disease from animals to humans. Since then, officials have said the virus is also spreading from person to person but it's unclear how easily it can be spread from one person to the next.

Symptoms occur anywhere between two to 14 days after exposure. Some people have reported little to no symptoms while others have experiences severe illness and death, federal health officials say. Symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

There is no vaccine to prevent the virus. In general, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following tips to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe

Patch will update this story as more details become available.