Illinois Coronavirus Patients Discharged From Hospital

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL — AMITA St. Alexius Medical Center has released two patients diagnosed with Wuhan coronavirus to their shared home, an AMITA medical center spokesperson told Patch on Friday. The pair are the only confirmed cases of coronavirus in Illinois. They are now being kept in home quarantine for further observation and treatment.

"The two patients being treated at AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center Hoffman Estates have been discharged to their home under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)," AMITA's Associate Vice President for Communications and Media Relations, Olga Solares, said via email.

Solares declined to comment on which neighborhood the pair was released to, but included a statement from the couple.

"With it being an uncomfortable situation, the care and the services we’ve received have been great. Everyone’s been very kind and very respectful," the patients said. "This has been the best healthcare experience we’ve ever had, but we’re definitely looking forward to getting home and getting life back to normal."

The Illinois Department of Health reported last week that the pair are a married couple in their 60s. The wife was reportedly found to be infected after returning from a trip to China, and her husband was infected by being in close contact with her. It was the first confirmed case of person-to-person coronavirus infection in the U.S.

Also according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, a total of 49 people have been tested for coronavirus in Illinois. Besides the married couple who tested positive for infection, 26 people were proven to not have the virus, and a further 21 are still under investigation. The most common symptoms of infection are fever, cough and shortness of breath, though more serious symptoms have also been reported.

Despite this, there have been no confirmed fatalities resulting from coronavirus infection in the U.S.

The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, is of a family of viruses that also includes SARS and MERS. It is typically spread to humans from animals — particularly camels, bats and cats — but recent cases have shown that it can also spread between humans via close personal contact, coughing & sneezing, a touching a surface infected with the virus without washing hands.

To prevent spread of the virus, the CDC recommends washing hands often, not touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, staying home if feeling sick, and avoiding people who seem sick.