U.S. has its first case of Coronavirus

Washington state man diagnosed with new virus

SEATTLE, Wash. (KYMA, KECY) - The U.S. has its first case of a new virus only discovered last month in China.

A Washington state resident who recently returned from a trip to central China is the first American diagnosed with Coronavirus. The man returned to the U.S. last week after traveling to the area where the outbreak began.

The man is in his 30's, and is in good condition in a hospital outside Seattle.

Health officials say the overall risk to Americans from the virus remains low.

Meanwhile, the number of people known to be infected in China has jumped to nearly 300, with new cases reported in Beijing, as well as in other Asian countries.

NBC's Janis Mackey-Frayer reports from Wuhan China.

" "Most of the nearly 300 confirmed cases are at hospitals here in Wuhan, considered ground zero for this mysterious virus."

But there are also cases showing up in other cities like Beijing and Shanghai, as well as other countries, including Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

The concern, of course, is how to stop it from spreading.

A prominent Chinese scientist overnight confirmed that it can be transmitted between people, and in one case, one person infected 14 health care workers.

So there is a scramble to try to contain this, at what's the busiest time of year for travel in China.

"There are literally hundreds of millions of people who are on the move right now for the lunar new year. The World Health Organization will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to determine whether this outbreak is now an international public health emergency. Janis Mackey Frayer, NBC News, Wuhan, China."