First Wuhan Pneumonia Case Reported in the US...Health Authorities to Announce Official Statement Soon (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Reports have emerged of the first case of Wuhan pneumonia in the United States.

On the 21st (local time), CNN, CNBC, and other broadcasters cited a spokesperson from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reporting that a patient infected with the novel coronavirus causing Wuhan pneumonia was recently identified in Seattle.

U.S. health authorities are expected to officially announce the first case of Wuhan pneumonia in the United States later that afternoon, according to U.S. media. The United States is the fifth country to report Wuhan pneumonia cases, following China, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan.

Passengers on a flight departing from Shanghai to Wuhan on the 21st are wearing masks to prevent infection from the novel coronavirus.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

CNBC reported that the White House did not respond to questions regarding the outbreak of the Wuhan virus.

As Wuhan pneumonia spreads rapidly, the World Health Organization (WHO) plans to hold an emergency committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 22nd to determine whether the outbreak constitutes an international public health emergency.