Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that docked in New Jersey on Friday morning were tested forcoronavirus.
NBC Newsreported that at least two dozen passengers — all Chinese nationals — were being tested for coronavirus, and four were transported to a local hospital. The other twenty-three passengers tested reportedly did not show any symptoms of the illness and were taken to the airport for flights back to China.
Inan updateposted later on Friday, Royal Caribbean confirmed that none of the four guests showed “any clinical signs and symptoms” of coronavirus. One of the four tested positive for influenza A.
“All other guests were permitted to disembark, and we have been cleared to continue with our next sailing,” the statement read.
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The coronavirus outbreak has caused multiple cruise ships across the globe to go under quarantine while passengers are tested for the disease. A Princess Cruises shipcurrently quarantined in Japancontains 61 people who tested positive for coronavirus, according to theWashington Post, and another cruise ship is currently quarantined in Hong Kong, theNew York Timesreports.
There are currently12 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the U.S.as of Thursday — six in California,two in Illinois, and one each in Wisconsin, Washington, Arizona and Massachusetts.
Worldwide, the outbreak has killed more than than 630 people and infected over 31,400 as of Friday morning, according toCNN.
Coronavirus is a blanket term for several respiratory illnesses, ranging from the common cold to more severe viruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Symptoms typically include fever, cough, trouble breathing, headache and sore throat. For people who have severe cases, it can turn into pneumonia, SARS, kidney failure and death, according to theWorld Health Organization.
A significant number of people are recovering from this coronavirus, as well. Chinese officials said that 262 people left the hospital on Tuesday. In the U.S., the man who had the first confirmed case of coronavirusalso went home.
source: people.com
