CLEVELAND — 3News has learned from multiple sources that the patient with Chicago's second confirmed case of coronavirus recently traveled to Cleveland, a fact now confirmed by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).
The man is a Chicago resident in his 60s and was confirmed as having coronavirus on Jan. 28, according to the CDC. In a statement by the city of Cleveland on Thursday evening, the city says the man traveled to Cleveland on January 14.
The ODH says he was "not infectious during his day trip."
The city adds that Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has been taking extra precautions such as increased surface sanitizing as the situation develops. Hopkins Airport is also following CDC guidelines.
This marks the sixth confirmed case of Wuhan coronavirus in the U.S., while more than 100 others remain under investigation. The other five were travelers who developed symptoms after returning to the U.S. from China.
This is also the first U.S. case of person-to-person transmission of the virus. The patient is married to Chicago’s first confirmed coronavirus patient, a woman in her 60s who recently returned from a trip to Wuhan, China. Her case was confirmed Jan. 24. She also remains in isolation at a Chicago area hospital.
The state DOH adds it is still awaiting test results from two possible cases of coronavirus from students at Miami University in Oxford. Also, they stress no other people in Ohio are currently under investigation for the illness.
Health officials stressed that the immediate risk to the American public remains low and explained that these two individuals had close contact with each other while the woman was symptomatic.
The Centers for Disease Control said it is likely there will be more cases reported in the U.S. in the coming days and weeks, including those from person-to-person.
The CDC and Illinois Department of Health on Thursday said the man’s lab results confirmed coronavirus last night, though he was already placed in isolation due to his symptoms, which can show two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
Officials would not provide a definitive answer when asked during a news conference Thursday if the man had recently visited Cleveland.
As fear of the unknown drives much of the concern surrounding coronavirus in the United States, 3News' Tiffany Tarpley consulted with University Hospitals Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, to get more information.