EVERETT — The first person in the United States diagnosed with coronavirus has fully recovered, according to county public health officials.
After consulting with state and federal public health authorities, the Snohomish Health District has released the man from home isolation, the local agency said in a post to its website.
“He is now considered fully recovered and free to go about his regular activities. We cannot thank him enough for his patience and cooperation throughout the entire process,” the health district said on its website.
The 35-year-old Snohomish County resident was recently released from Providence Regional Medical Center Everett after being admitted on Jan. 20, five days after his return from a trip to Wuhan, China. He was treated in a special isolation unit at the hospital devised for the Ebola outbreak five years ago and was given an experimental drug developed for Ebola. He got worse before he got better.
The man is the only person in the state who has tested positive for the virus, according to the Washington State Department of Health. As of Thursday afternoon, 24 other people had tested negative, and one more test was pending, according to the state health department’s website. Nearly 800 people in Washington state were under “public health supervision,” including some who recently returned from China.
Across the country, laboratory tests had confirmed the virus in 15 people in seven states as of Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 50 tests were still pending on Wednesday, the CDC website says.
Local public health officials continue to monitor more than 20 people who recently returned from trips to China and meet the federal guidelines for home isolation, said Heather Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Snohomish Health District.
The U.S. government has suspended entry of foreign nationals who have visited China within the past 14 days, and measures are being implemented to detect the virus among those U.S. citizens, residents and family who have been in China within 14 days.
A detailed scientific article in the New England Journal of Medicine written by public health officials in the county and Washington state is guiding others worldwide.
The threat to the general public in America is considered low, according to the health district.
“We’re encouraging people just to stay informed from credible news sources about what’s happening,” said Thomas. “This is a dynamic and changing issue.”
The district is advising residents to take the same steps they would to protect themselves during a typical cold and flu season by washing their hands, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home if they’re sick, Thomas said.
Rachel Riley: 425-339-3465; rachel.riley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @rachel_m_riley.
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