After being diagnosed with Wuhan coronavirus, Seattle man now in isolation

The Seattle area man who is now the first confirmed U.S. patient to be diagnosed with the mysterious Wuhan coronavirus remains in isolation, and based on an interview with medical staffers, officials are taking extraordinary precautions to protect his health and that of medical center staffers.

The man remains under medical review, and authorities said Wednesday that they have identified 16 people who were in "close contact" with the patient and they are now being monitored in case they develop symptoms related to the virus.

Because of federal rules regarding medical privacy, the identity of the Snohomish County man who is in his 30s, is being closely guarded, and not much is known about his background.

We do know that he had traveled recently to China and arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport one week ago on a Wednesday. He reached out to health officials a few days later after he started complaining about not feeling well.

John Wiesman, the state's health secretary, said at a press conference that a call center has been activated for those who suspect they may have the virus or have questions. The number is 425-388-5088.

Dr. J. Cook, the chief medical officer at Providence Medical Center, which is where the patient is being treated, said the man's condition is unchanged.

"Clinically, there is not much to report," Cook said. "The patient continues to rest comfortably."

Health authorities say the newly discovered virus can be transmitted from human to human, but it is not clear how transmission occurs. Symptoms of infection include fever, difficulty breathing and lung lesions, officials say. The symptoms can resemble the flue or a bad cold, according to health officials.

Without a doubt, the patient's life has been turned upside down.

According to Dr. George Diaz, the head of the infectious disease program at Providence Regional Medical Center, the patient is isolated and will remain so until officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say it's OK for him to be released from isolation.

Diaz spoke to ABC News on Wednesday about the patient and what his daily life and routine is like now that he has become the country's first patient with the mysterious virus.

According to Diaz:

• Hospital staffers use a robot with a stethoscope to care for the man, an attempt to limit physical contact with him.
  
• The patient resides in bio-containment room that is about 20x20, and it has security guards and four specially trained nurses who are assigned to his case.
  
• Only 10-12 credentialed healthcare workers have access to room, and only a very few of them have have actually been inside his quarters.

News that a U.S. citizen has been diagnosed has activated some precautionary protocols.

CDC officials have activated the agency's national emergency center in response to the discovery of the potentially deadly virus in the U.S. The risk to the general public is considered "low,'" but CDC officials say they expect to find more cases in the U.S.

In addition, passengers from Wuhan, China, are being screened at J.F.K. Airport In New York, as well as at the major airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and Chicago's O'Hare Airport. What's more, officials will begin forcing all passengers that originate in Wuhan to go to one of those five airports if they wish to enter the U.S.

Doctors treating the man say he is doing well and receiving supporting care.

According to the New York Times, more than 400 people have been infected by the virus in China and at least 17 people have died from the illness.