Clark County resident being tested for coronavirus

A Clark County resident being tested for the coronavirus recently returned from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of an outbreak of the potentially deadly disease, the Southern Nevada Health District announced today.

The patient, who was showing minor cold-like symptoms, was in isolation at a local hospital, the district said. The patient will be monitored while the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts tests, officials said.

The test results should be available within 48 hours, officials said.

The patient returned to the U.S. on Jan. 14 from China, where 7,711 confirmed cases of the virus and 170 deaths have been reported. The virus has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia in some people, health officials said.

The patient, who began showing symptoms a few days ago, checked themselves into the hospital on Tuesday, health officials said. It can take up to 14 days for symptoms to appear, officials said.

The patient, who was not identified, was in stable condition with "very minimal symptoms," including a runny nose, coughing and shortness of breath, said Dr. Vit Kraushaar, medical investigator with the Heath District.

Dr. Fermin Leguen, acting chief health officer for the Health District, said the agency "has been monitoring this situation and working closely with our health care partners to ensure they were prepared for potential patients.”

“Our hospitals are very experienced in isolating and taking care of ill patients, and we will continue to coordinate the testing process and communications with our partners at the state and the CDC,” Leguen said.

To date, there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Clark County.

Coronaviruses are part of a family of viruses common in animals, including camels, cattle, cats and bats, the Health District said. In rare instances, the animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread from person to person.