Second case of Wuhan coronavirus confirmed in US, 63 still under investigation

A second US case of the deadly pneumonia-like coronavirus has been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Chinese woman in her 60s has presented with the illness in Chicago.

The woman flew to Chicago on January 13 from Wuhan, believed to be the source of the outbreak that has so far killed some 26 people and infected at least 800 more. She has had "limited close contacts" since arriving in the city and was not believed to be sick while traveling, the CDC said at a press conference on Friday, adding that she was being kept in isolation at a city hospital.

Another 63 people in 22 states are being investigated as possible coronavirus patients. The first US case was announced on Tuesday in Snohomish County, Washington – a man who returned from Wuhan earlier this month and was hospitalized with pneumonia that turned out to be the virus. Major airports have stepped up screenings in the hope of preventing further spread of the disease.

In China, where 23 million people are under quarantine, a coronavirus patient was reportedly cured for the first time and discharged from hospital on Friday after six days of treatment. The woman is a Wuhan native. City authorities are attempting to construct a specialized treatment facility for all known coronavirus patients to stop the virus from spreading further. The massive facility is supposed to be ready within 10 days. 

Aside from China and the US, coronavirus cases have been reported in Thailand, South Korea, Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan.

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