MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin resident who was the state’s first confirmed case of a new virus originating in China is recovering at home and the risk to the general public remains low, state health officials said Thursday.
The confirmed case in Dane County, announced Wednesday, was the first in Wisconsin and just the 12th nationwide for the coronavirus. The viral outbreak, first detected in December, has infected more than 28,200 people globally and caused more than 560 deaths in China.
More details emerged Thursday about Wisconsin’s case. The person contracted the virus in China while on vacation to celebrate the Chinese New Year, according to Tom Haupt, respiratory disease epidemiologist for the state Department of Health Services. The patient remains isolated at home, along with an unspecified number of family members, he said.
“The patient is making a very good recovery,” Haupt said. Per protocol for the virus, the person will remain in isolation for 14 days.
Health officials stressed that the risk to the public was low.
“It is not a panic situation but it is a serious situation,” Haupt said.
The virus is a member of the coronavirus family that includes SARS and MERS, as well as viruses that can cause the common cold.
