U.S. officials have confirmed that an evacuee from China who had been under quarantine in San Antonio has the coronavirus.
The patient, who arrived at Lackland Air Force Base last week, is the 15th confirmed case in the United States and the first in Texas.
The infection was confirmed on Wednesday evening following a lab test. The patient is currently under isolation and is reported to be in stable condition.
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, issued a statement Thursday regarding the confirmation of the coronavirus in San Antonio.
“I am aware of the confirmed case of coronavirus in Texas. Please know that the individual is under federal quarantine at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas where they have been isolated and are receiving necessary medical care,” Gonzalez stated. “I will be in contact with federal and state officials as we continue to monitor the situation. I also encourage people to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, www.cdc.gov, for the latest information on the virus.”
Hundreds of evacuees have been flown to military bases in Texas, California and Nebraska from Wuhan, China, the center of the coronavirus outbreak.
Many of these evacuees include U.S. State Department employees and their families.
There have been tens of thousands of cases of the illness, known as COVID-19, reported globally, mostly in China.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia.
Health officials believe that the virus is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.
Monitor Staff Reporter Francisco E. Jimenez contributed to this report.
