Maine resident tested for coronavirus, first suspected case in state: health officials

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The Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday announced a person in the state is being tested for the deadly coronavirus, marking the first potential case of the pneumonia-like illness in Maine.

The Maine CDC in a Monday press release said it was “made aware of the individual through protocols established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to limit the spread of coronavirus in the United States.”

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The person, who was not identified, is currently isolated at home. He or she will remain so until the Maine CDC receives the patient’s test results from the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta.

It’s not clear if the patient had recently traveled to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak that has sickened more than 43,000 and killed some 1,016 people. The majority of cases have occurred in China.

"The risk in Maine remains low," Nirav D. Shah, director of the Maine CDC, said in a statement. "This test follows protocols established by the U.S. CDC. At this point, 37 states have sent samples to the U.S. CDC for testing, and the vast majority of those tests have come back negative. Right now, the best thing Maine people can do is to practice good hygiene, stay home if you feel sick, and share your recent travel history with medical providers if you experience fever, cough or difficulty breathing."

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The news comes after a 13th American was diagnosed with the novel virus on Monday. The patient is one of some 167 American evacuees from Wuhan who arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego last week.

The patient is under observation and isolation at UC San Diego Medical Center and is "doing well," the hospital said.

Fox News' David Aaro contributed to this report.