Story at a glance
- The patients were taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center Monday after arriving in the U.S.
- Health officials say they are showing mild or no symptoms of the disease.
- There have been 634 confirmed cases of coronavirus linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
At least 11 American evacuees transported to the U.S. from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Health officials announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 11 of 13 of the evacuees have the coronavirus. The two other evacuees tested negative. The confirmed cases bring the tally of cases in the U.S. to 26, according to CNN.
UNMC officials said Thursday 10 people are currently in the facility’s National Quarantine Unit and three others are in the biocontainment unit. One person was transferred to the hospital’s biocontainment unit Monday due to his symptoms and an undisclosed condition that would make him vulnerable to the coronavirus.
“Most of our guests aren’t showing symptoms of the disease, however several others are exhibiting minor symptoms,” UNMC spokesperson Taylor Wilson said.
Health officials said earlier this week the 13 passengers would be quarantined for at least two weeks in Omaha and that it could be extended if positive tests were returned.
The patients had been on the cruise liner docked off the coast of Japan for two weeks and were evacuated last week by State Department-chartered flights carrying hundreds of Americans.
There have been at least 634 confirmed cases of coronavirus linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with two confirmed deaths of elderly Japanese passengers. Approximately 600 passengers left the ship Wednesday after the official 14-day confinement period expired.
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