New York confirms first case of coronavirus

New York on Sunday confirmed the state’s first case of the new coronavirus as reports of the virus continue to crop up across the U.S.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Sunday evening in a statement that a woman in her late 30s had been diagnosed with the disease caused by the virus and had been isolated at home. In his statement, Cuomo stressed that the risk to the state’s general population was low.

“This evening we learned of the first positive case of novel coronavirus — or COVID-19 — in New York State. The patient, a woman in her late thirties, contracted the virus while traveling abroad in Iran, and is currently isolated in her home. The patient has respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York,” said Cuomo.

“There is no reason for undue anxiety — the general risk remains low in New York. We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information as it becomes available,” he added.

News of the virus’s first confirmed case in New York state comes just days after it was announced that the first U.S. resident had died of the disease, which presents as a form of pneumonia.

Tens of thousands of cases have been confirmed worldwide, with the majority occurring in China. The virus is believed to have originated in China’s Wuhan province, where the casualties have been most severe.