WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. — The test results of three out of four possible coronavirus cases in Michigan came back negative, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced Monday.
Three of the reported cases were in Washtenaw County, one still remains under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The fourth tested case that came back negative was from Macomb County.
“We are pleased to announce that the results were negative from Michigan’s first three patients under investigation,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health in a press release.
To date, there have been five confirmed cases of the respiratory illness in the U.S: one in Arizona, two in California, one in Washington and one in Illinois.
According to the Washtenaw County Health Department, the test results from the remaining Michigan specimen is expected from the CDC in the coming days. In the meantime, Michigan residents who have shown signs of the disease are in isolation and are suffering from a "mild illness."
The person in Washtenaw County and the people they live with are being monitored by the county health department twice a day, according to the health department.
The illness was originally detected in China, and health officials are advising anyone with symptoms of respiratory illness who traveled to the country within the last two weeks to contact their doctor.
There is no person-to-person spread in the U.S. yet like there is in China, however, the CDC predicts that it is "likely to occur."
While the CDC says the virus poses no "immediate health risk" to the American general public, they are advising people to get vaccinated and take preventative steps to protect themselves from germs, especially if people have traveled through major airports that connect through China.