TheCable

A Nigerian has tested positive for coronavirus in Washington DC, United States.

According to NBC, an American news channel, Muriel Bowser, district of Columbia mayor, said the man tested positive for the virus on Saturday.

Update: D.C.’s second confirmed coronavirus patient is a Nigerian man who had recently traveled to D.C., the Mayor’s Office says. He is being treated at a Maryland hospital.

Update: D.C.’s second confirmed coronavirus patient is a Nigerian man who had recently traveled to D.C., the Mayor’s Office says. He is being treated at a Maryland hospital.https://t.co/BpYaLD53Uc

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— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) March 8, 2020

It is said to be the first presumptively confirmed case in the US capital after the country confirmed its first case of person-to-person transmission of the virus on January 30.

The US authorities said the man, who is in his 50s, lives in Nigeria but has been staying with family members in Washington DC.

“With his test yielding presumptive positive, D.C. Health has started its investigation in keeping with CDC guidelines,” Bowser said.

“At this point he seems to have no history of international travel and no close contacts with a confirmed case. He remains hospitalized.”

US officials said they have the capability of testing about 50 patients per day, adding that the health agencies are prepared to tackle the virus.

On Friday, two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington tested positive for the virus.

As of March 8, there have been 447 confirmed cases and 19 deaths arising from coronavirus in the US.

King Paul Akpan Udoh, a 22-year-old Italian-Nigerian player, was diagnosed of the disease on February 27, and quarantined.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 101,000 people have contracted disease globally, while more than 3,000 people have died.