A patient at Hackensack University Medical Center who was evaluated Thursday night for possible infection with the coronavirus that has caused worldwide concern of a possible epidemic does not have the disease, the hospital said.

“After an evaluation of the patient and consulting with the State Department of Health, experts have determined the patient does not have the Wuhan coronavirus," Nancy Radwin, a hospital spokeswoman, said in a statement issued at 10:55 p.m.

The patient, a 25-year-old woman, was transported to the hospital on Thursday evening by the Edgewater Emergency Medical Services, according to EMS sources. The hospital said it would provide no further information about her condition, to protect her privacy.

A state Health Department spokeswoman said the department had consulted with the federal Centers for Disease Control "and it was determined the patient did not meet CDC criteria for testing."

Guidelines issued by the health department on Wednesday said respiratory samples would be sent to the CDC in Atlanta to test for the new coronavirus only with the approval of the department.

To be tested, the department said the patient must have a fever of 100.4 degrees or more, symptoms of lower respiratory illness such as a cough and shortness of breath, and have traveled from Wuhan, China within the previous two weeks or had close contact with a person under investigation for infection with the virus while that person was ill.

The Chinese government has shared the genetic profile of the virus with world health officials, and the CDC has developed a rapid test for it. It is the only site in the United States that can confirm whether or not a person has the new virus.

No information was available about whether the Hackensack patient had traveled from China, or what her symptoms were.

During the period while information was being gathered about the patient, the hospital followed strict infection control measures as a precaution, a spokesman for the state Health Department said.

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The new type of virus has sickened more than 800 people in China, most in the central city of Wuhan. It causes respiratory illness, including pneumonia, and has spread to other cities in China as well as to Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and other countries. Seventeen deaths have been reported in China, most among people with underlying medical conditions.

On Wednesday, the CDC confirmed the first case in the United States, in a resident of Snohomish County, Washington who had returned from a trip to Wuhan.

A student at Texas A & M University who had returned from a visit to Wuhan and complained of respiratory illness was reportedly being evaluated for coronavirus on Thursday. The student had very mild symptoms and was being quarantined at home, a county health official said at an afternoon news conference.

New or novel viruses are of concern because humans lack immunity to them and there are no vaccines or specific treatments. The patients have been treated with supportive care.

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On Wednesday, the New Jersey Health Department distributed guidance to health professionals about the criteria to use in evaluating patients. Because many respiratory viruses are circulating during this season, it is difficult to immediately identify patients with this virus, known as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV.”

The disease originated in a fish and animal market in Wuhan, and was believed to have been transmitted from animals to humans. The extent of human-to-human transmission is still unknown.

"Person-to-person transmission is still being evaluated but appears to be occurring within case households and in the health care setting," the New Jersey health department said.

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President Donald Trump, speaking outside the World Economic Forum in Davos Wednesday, said he was not concerned about the possibility of a pandemic. "We have it totally under control," he said.

Earlier this week, New Jersey's two U.S. senators, Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, asked for the CDC to add Newark Liberty International Airport to the list of five airports where arriving passengers are screened for possible infection with the virus. The airport is the fifth busiest international airport in the country, they said.

Screening started last week at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles airports, and was added Tuesday at Chicago O'Hare and Atlanta Hartsfield.

In 2014, Hackensack was one of three hospitals in New Jersey to be chosen to prepare to treat any patients identified with Ebola, a highly contagious and deadly virus then spreading in West Africa. A team of emergency room and infectious disease professionals prepared, but ultimately did not treat any Ebola patients.

Lindy Washburn is a senior healthcare reporter for NorthJersey.com. To keep up-to-date about how changes in the medical world affect the health of you and your family, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: washburn@northjersey.com Twitter: @lindywa