CDC Confirms Second Case Of Coronavirus In The U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday confirmed the second case of coronavirus in the United States, which has killed at least two dozen people after originating in Wuhan, China, in recent weeks.

The patient is a 60-year-old woman in Chicago, who had traveled to Wuhan in late December before flying back to the U.S. on January 13.

CDC officials said the woman has been hospitalized to prevent her from spreading the virus, but is doing well.

Earlier this week, doctors in Washington state confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the U.S. : a Seattle-area man who also recently traveled to Wuhan.

Medical authorities believe the virus originated at a livestock market in the city in central China, which is home to 11 million people. Chinese officials have restricted travel in and around the city, affecting millions of people traveling to visit relatives for the Lunar New Year, the country’s biggest holiday, which began Friday evening.

Cases of coronavirus have also been reported in other Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. Across China, some Lunar New Year events have been canceled or curtailed, and businesses and tourist attractions, including sections of the Great Wall in Beijing, are shutting down in order to stem the spread of the virus .

Nepal, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand have also reported cases.

In the U.S., officials have been screening flights between Wuhan and five major cities: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta.

CDC officials said Friday that coronavirus appears low-risk, but they expect more cases in the U.S., because the virus has about a two-week incubation period.