Chicago Area Resident Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Cook County Department Of Public Health Confirms

CHICAGO (CBS) — A patient in the Chicago area has tested positive for coronavirus, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health.

The tests resulted in “presumptive” positives and will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The patient is hospitalized in isolation at an undisclosed location, and CDC protocols have been implemented. The patient is from Cook County, officials said. It is currently not known how the patient may have contracted the virus. Also on Saturday, Loyola University in Chicago ordered all students studying in Italy to return to the United States by March 4 after an oubreak of the virus in that country. Those students will be required to stay at home for a 14-day medical evaluation period.

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Public health officials are working to find people who were in contact with the patient in an effort to reduce the risk of additional transmission. The state will request the CDC deploy a team to Illinois for support.

Governor JB Pritzker has requested that hospitals across the state implement additional testing to improve surveillance for the virus. Illinois was the first state to provide testing, and two more IDPH labs will be able to test specimens next week.

A Chicago couple was previously diagnosed with coronavirus and have both made full recoveries.

Reported coronavirus symptoms include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing.

Because the virus has not been found to be spreading widely in the U.S., the risk to the general public remains low, according to a release from IDPH. Residents are encouraged not to alter their daily routines but remember to cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands with warm soap and water and stay home when sick.