Illinois becomes first to conduct in-state testing for deadly novel coronavirus, first group of quarantined Americans released

ByAlexa McAdams

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Novel Coronavirus: Illinois becomes first to conduct in-state testing for COVID-19

Illinois is now leading the nation in testing for the Novel Coronavirus that's spreading around the world, becoming the only state that can test for the deadly disease on its own.

Ill. -- Illinois is now leading the nation in testing for the Novel Coronavirus that's spreading around the world, becoming the only state that can test for the deadly disease on its own.

This comes as China experiences its deadliest day yet during the outbreak on Monday, reporting at least 108 deaths from the disease. Nearly 2,500 new cases were also diagnosed with what the CDC has officially named COVID-19.

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The new testing technology will allow health officials to detect and stop the spread of the novel coronavirus as the CDC prepares to see more cases show up in the United States as well.

"The test has received an emergency use authorization approval from the Food and Drug Administration, and can be tested now at these state laboratories," said Dr. Anne Schuchat with the CDC.

The new test can determine if a person has the infection within just 24-hours, giving health officials an important tool to stop the illness from spreading.

"The current situation with the novel coronavirus is dynamic," Schuchat said.

As of Tuesday, health officials said more than 43,000 people are infected worldwide.

"The U.S. is working closely with the World Health Organization and others countries around the world, including China, to work to control the virus," Schuchat added.

So far in the state of Illinois, two people have tested positive for COVID-19. 26 others were tested but have since been cleared.

There are currently a totally of 13 confirmed cases in six different state in the U.S. as of Tuesday.

The CDC said they are still learning more about the transmission of the virus, which officials believe is spreading through respiratory droplets -- similar to the seasonal flu.

"We do not have widespread transmission in the U.S., and we are currently operating under a strategy of trying to delay the arrival of cases and slow the spread of cases if they occur," Schuchat said.

The CDC said the Americans who were evacuated on the first charter flight out of Wuhan, China, are expected to be released home Tuesday after completing a 14-day quarantine.