Coronavirus: New York City tests first patient for deadly disease after returning from China

Officials say patient 'presented with fever and cough or shortness of breath without another common cause, like influenza and other cold viruses'

New York City has tested a patient for coronavirus after they returned from a trip to China and exhibited symptoms associated with the deadly illness, officials said in a statement.

The development comes after national health officials declared a public health emergency following the eighth confirmed case in the United States. That case, reported in Boston, Massachusetts, involved a patient who had reportedly travelled to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Worldwide, infections of the rapidly-spreading virus have already topped 14,000.

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene wrote on Twitter: “The first person in NYC has been identified for testing for the novel #coronavirus.”

“This means they had recently travelled from China & presented with fever and cough or shortness of breath without another common cause, like influenza and other cold viruses, identified on testing.”

The patient, who has not been publicly identified, was reportedly under the age of 40. They were taken to the Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for testing, according to the New York City Department of Health.

In a press conference on Saturday, Bill De Blasio, the mayor of New York City, and city health officials sought to reassure residents they were not at immediate risk of contracting the virus, which has already caused more than 300 deaths in China.

“New Yorkers should go about our lives, continue doing what we do normally,” the mayor added.

“This is not something you are going to contract in the subway or on the bus,” New York City’s health commissioner, Dr Oxiris Barbot said, while encouraging residents to “wash your hands frequently, cover your mouths and nose when you cough or you sneeze.”

There have been four reports of possible coronavirus cases across the entire state of New York prior to the latest testing in New York City, according to state officials. None of those cases have been confirmed as of Sunday.

The department of health and mental hygiene said it was “continuing to monitor the evolving worldwide situation daily” and distributing “educational materials so that people have the facts about how to protect themselves and their families.”

The World Health Organisation has declared coronavirus a global health emergency, noting how the virus could spread to countries with weaker health systems.

At least 25 countries have confirmed cases of coronavirus since the outbreak began in December.

In Boston, the latest patient was a student at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

The university confirmed the case in a statement to students on Saturday, writing: “On occasions like this, it is possible for fear to get the better of any of us. Let’s remember that viruses are no one’s fault and anyone can find themselves ill.”