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CDC confirms 14th coronavirus case in the US

Posted at 5:49 PM, Feb 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-12 19:49:49-05

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed a second case of the novel coronavirus in San Diego County Wednesday afternoon.

According to CDC, the patient was aboard a flight from Wuhan, China that arrived at MCAS Miramar last week.

UC San Diego Health confirmed that the individual is being treated by the hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time. This is the 14th confirmed case of the virus in the U.S.

Read the full statement from the hospital below:

The safety and well-being of our patients and staff is our top priority. As the region’s only academic health system, UC San Diego Health specializes in the care of patients with complex illnesses, including infectious diseases more virulent and deadlier than COVID-19. We are taking all necessary measures and precautions to minimize any potential exposures as we care for both potential and confirmed COVID-19 cases. Patients are treated in negative-pressure isolation rooms; health care providers in contact with these patients are trained to use appropriate personal protective equipment, such as gowns, gloves, fit-tested high-filtration respirators and face shields or goggles.

We understand others may be concerned about larger health risks. We want to reassure our patients, their loved ones and the community at large that there is no exposure risk at any UC San Diego Health hospitals or clinics. Patients and visitors can feel confident in making and keeping their appointments and using our services as usual.

A third person is also being cared for by UC San Diego while their test results are pending.

The CDC said in a news release that the "first and second patients arrived on different planes and were housed in separate facilities; there are no epidemiologic links between them."

The case comes just days after a woman also aboard one of the flights was diagnosed with the virus.

The woman was mistakenly released from isolation and taken back to MCAS Miramar due to a mislabeled sample.

She was later returned to the hospital and is said to be in good condition and expected to make a full recovery.

So far, Miramar has received two flights carrying evacuees from Wuhan. A total of 167 evacuees were aboard the first flight that arrived on February 5. The second flight carried 65 people to the base.

All the passengers aboard were quarantined for a mandatory 14 days.

This article was written by Zac Self for KGTV .