Coronavirus Outbreak: 1st Patient Diagnosed In US Discharged From Hospital, Recovering At Home

The first patient to be diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in the United States was discharged from the hospital Monday. The man said he was looking forward to getting better and leading a normal life.

Media reports said the 35-year-old man had fallen sick after returning to Everett, Washington, from a visit to China in December. He was hospitalized on Jan. 20 and was discharged on Monday from the Providence Regional Medical Center, Everett.

Local reports said the man was advised to stay at home until the symptoms die down. In a statement to the media, he said, “I am at home and continuing to get better. I ask that the media please respect my privacy and my desire not to be in the public eye.”

The man added, “I appreciate all of the concern expressed by members of the public, and I look forward to returning to my normal life.” The man was staying at his home in isolation and health officials would perform regular checkups till he was normal again.

The officials added that they were monitoring over 50 people who came in contact with the patient for any signs of transmission of the disease as it can also spread from person-to-person. The name of the patient and other details were not released as he had requested and the man was reported to be in stable condition.

The Wuhan coronavirus spreads quickly as there are 11 cases already reported in the United States. The country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC announced enhanced screening processes for people returning from the epicenter of the outbreak at any one of the 11 airports designated for the same.