The first known coronavirus case in the United States involving someone who had not traveled to China has surfaced in Illinois, health officials said Thursday.
The patient, who was not identified, is the husband of a Chicago woman who got sick after returning from a trip to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The man, who is in his 60s, began feeling ill Tuesday and was promptly placed in isolation, officials said.
There are 21 people, including health-care workers, who may have had close contact with the patient and are being monitored.
“The risk to the general public remains low,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.