Evacuee Quarantined At Texas Air Base Tests Positive For Coronavirus

A person quarantined in Texas after being evacuated from China has tested positive for the coronavirus , bringing the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. to 15.

The individual is among a group of people placed under a federal quarantine at the Air Force’s Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland following their U.S. arrival on Feb. 7 on a State Department-chartered flight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

None of the other people in the group have shown symptoms or tested positive for the virus, also known as COVID-19, though health officials aren’t ruling more cases out.

“There may be additional cases we identify. I do want to prepare you for that,” said Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the CDC’s division of high consequence pathogens and pathology, at a press conference.

The person with the confirmed case is isolated and receiving medical care at a local hospital, Texas health officials said.

Cases have been previously confirmed in Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, and Wisconsin.

“There will likely be additional cases in the coming days and weeks, including among other people recently returned from Wuhan,” the CDC said in a statement . Wuhan is the capital city for the province where the virus was first detected, 

Globally, the World Health Organization has reported 46,997 laboratory-confirmed cases, while China’s National Health Commission said it has received 59,804 reports of confirmed cases and 1,367 deaths linked to the virus.