Atlanta, GA – On Thursday, January 30th, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the first human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus is confirmed. There are now 6 cases of coronavirus reported in the United States.
CDC is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus named 2019-nCoV.
The outbreak first started in Wuhan, China, but cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States.
Information regarding the number of people under investigation will be updated regularly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
As of 1/29/2020
People under Investigation (PUI) in the United States
| Positive | 6 |
|---|---|
| Negative | 68 |
| Pending§ | 92 |
| Total | 165 |
*Cumulative since January 21st, 2020.
† Numbers closed out at 7:00pm the night before reporting.
‡ Excludes those with contact to a known case.
§Includes specimens received and awaiting testing, as well as specimens in route to CDC.
Number of states with PUI: 36
About 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan, China reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread.
However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread is occurring. At this time, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading between people.
The latest situation summary updates are available on CDC’s web page 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Wuhan, China.
How 2019-nCoV Spreads
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS and SARS.
When person-to-person spread has occurred with MERS and SARS, it is thought to have happened mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. Spread of SARS and MERS between people has generally occurred between close contacts.
It’s important to note that how easily a virus spreads person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious (like measles), while other viruses are less so. It’s important to know this in order to better understand the risk associated with this virus. While CDC considers this is a very serious public health threat, based on current information, the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time.
There is much more to learn about the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with 2019-nCoV and investigations are ongoing. The latest situation summary updates are available on CDC’s web page 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Wuhan, China.
