WUHAN, China (NBC) – Wuhan, the city in China believed to be ground-zero for the mysterious coronavirus, has been sealed off.
At least one case has been confirmed in the United States.
According to Chinese state media, officials in Wuhan are taking extraordinary steps to quarantine residents by halting outbound flights and trains.
They’re hoping to stop the spread of the virus that has killed at least 17 and sickened more than 500.
It comes as the World Health Organization grapples with how to tackle the outbreak.
“The decision whether or not to declare a public health emergency is one I take seriously and one I’m only prepared to make with consideration of the evidence,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General, said Wednesday.
The first confirmed patient in the United States, a Seattle-area man in his 30’s who’d recently traveled to Wuhan, is hospitalized and reportedly in good condition.
Health experts are working to trace his contacts.
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