WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - A third potential coronavirus case from Washtenaw County is being investigated, health department officials said Monday.

The new case, announced Jan. 27, joins three others -- two from Washtenaw County and one from Macomb County -- identified by state health officials Thursday, Jan. 23, said Washtenaw County Health Department spokeswoman Susan Ringler-Cerniglia.

Three possible Michigan coronavirus cases being investigated

All four people have been tested for the virus, Ringler-Cerniglia said. The state sent the tests to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which is the only lab in the U.S. that can test for the strand of coronavirus, she said.

There is “not a high level of concern" for the statewide spread of coronavirus, Ringer-Cerniglia said, though health officials do not currently know “how efficiently” the virus travels.

The test results may be available in the next few days, said Lynn Sutfin of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC is currently processing hundreds of nationwide samples, she said.

Each person tested for the virus has shown “mild symptoms” of lower respiratory illness and fever, Ringler-Cerniglia said. Each reported traveling to Wuhan, China, where the deadly outbreak of the virus began, or have had contact with someone who is being investigated for the infection, she said.

All patients are currently isolated at home, she said, and the Washtenaw and Macomb health departments are monitoring them. Nobody in contact with the patients has exhibited coronavirus symptoms at this time, she said.

Coronavirus is a respiratory illness common in animals and humans, but the new strand, called novel coronavirus 2019, had not been previously detected, according to the CDC. Public health screenings for travelers from Wuhan, about 12 hours south of Beijing, are in place at Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, San Francisco and New York airports.

Health officials warn patients to call a health care provider before seeking treatment for potential coronavirus symptoms so the appropriate preventive measures can be taken.

Ringer-Cerniglia also recommends frequently washing hands, covering coughs and taking other precautions similar to flu prevention.

The first case of the virus was reported on Jan. 21 in Washington state.