CDC: Testing for coronavirus expanded to patients who have doctor's order

The latest:

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• There are more than 95,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in 79 countries and territories, according to the World Health Organization.
• More than 3,200 people have died worldwide
• There are more than 160 U.S. cases of coronavirus, CNN reports. Those numbers are expected to rise
• The U.S. death toll stands at 11 — 10 in Washington State and 1 in California

As the number of cases and deaths from novel coronavirus increase across the U.S., federal health officials are expanding testing for the fast-moving outbreak.

The new guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday formalizes an announcement by Vice President Mike Pence that any American with a doctor's order can be tested with no restrictions.

It removes earlier restrictions that limited testing for the virus to people who'd been hospitalized with a fever and respiratory symptoms — or a patient who had close contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient.

Clinicians should now "use their judgment to determine if a patient has signs and symptoms compatible with ... (coronavirus) and whether the patient should be tested," the CDC said.

Experts have questioned whether the United States can meet the likely surge in testing demand that will follow the change in guidelines.

Two kinds of coronavirus tests in the United States have FDA emergency use authorizations and are in use nationwide.

One kind is the CDC test kits that are distributed to public health laboratories across the country, and another test has been designed and used by New York state.

At least 162 coronavirus cases have been reported across 17 states, most of them in California and Washington states.

The number of cases includes 46 repatriated citizens from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which docked in Japan last month after an outbreak and quarantine, as well as three Americans repatriated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Number of cases grows nationwide

There are now at least 163 known coronavirus cases across 18 states, most of them in California and Washington states.

California's first death was a cruise ship passenger who died from the coronavirus Wednesday, nearly two weeks after he returned home. The disease has sickened people in 18 states.

The death reported was linked to the Grand Princess cruise ship, which is being held off the California coast so federal health officials can screen the people aboard, some of whom were on an earlier cruise with the California victim.

The unidentified man was 71 and had underlying health conditions, Placer County health officials said. He was likely exposed to the virus on the cruise from San Francisco to Mexico between Feb. 11 to 21.

After the Grand Princess finished its Mexico trip last month, it went on another cruise to Hawaii and is on its way back. There are 62 passengers on the ship who sailed on that San Francisco-Mexico voyage and remained on board for the current Hawaii one, the company said.

"We have shared essential travel and health data with the CDC to facilitate their standard notification to the state and county health authorities to follow up with individuals who may have been exposed to people who became ill," Princess Cruises said in a statement.

To screen passengers, the U.S. Coast Guard will deliver sampling kits to the ship Thursday via helicopter, and a medical team aboard will administer the tests. The samples will be sent by helicopter to a lab in Richmond, California, Princess Cruises said.

There are 11 passengers and 10 crew members who have developed symptoms Gov. Gavin Newsom said. The ship is carrying 2,500 passengers.

The governor declared a state of emergency, which allows for more money to be allocated for the state's response.

Nevada man diagnosed

A Nevada man living in Clark County has been diagnosed with the virus, health officials there said. The Southern Nevada Health District announced the update Thursday. The CDC is still waiting to confirm the Nevada diagnosis.

The patient is reported to be in his 50s and had recently traveled to Washington state. He is currently hospitalized in the isolation ward, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Tennessee confirms first case

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Thursday that the first case of coronavirus in that state has been confirmed.

Officials said the patient, who is a 44-year-old man living in Williamson County, recently traveled out of state. The patient is in self-quarantine at their home with mild symptoms.

"Fortunately, this person returned from their out-of-state travel and became ill and as we often encourage people with any type of respiratory illness they began to self-isolate at that time,” said Mary Margret-Fill, a Tennessee state epidemiologist told reporters. “So the duration from when they became ill until we knew the results was short, within a matter of days. But their activity outside of their home was very limited."

1,000 New Yorkers asked to self-quarantine

About 1,000 people are being asked to self-quarantine after the latest cases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

At least 13 people across metro New York are infected with coronavirus as of Thursday morning, officials said.

They include the city's first case of community spread — meaning the source of infection is unknown.

That patient, an attorney in his 50s, is hospitalized at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

The man has an underlying respiratory condition that made him more vulnerable to the virus, said Dr. Howard Zucker, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health.

Cuomo said the man's condition was stable and improving.

The attorney has connections across metro New York City. He works at the Lewis and Garbuz law firm in Manhattan, and his family lives in suburban Westchester County.

Officials are testing "a number" of people at the law firm, and none of the tests that have come back are positive, the governor said.

The man's 20-year-old son attends Yeshiva University in Manhattan, and his 14-year-old daughter attends SAR Academy and High School in the Bronx.

Now, the man's wife, son, daughter and a neighbor who drove him to the hospital are all infected with coronavirus, Cuomo said Wednesday.

Only the attorney is hospitalized. His family members and his neighbor are isolated at home, Cuomo said.

SAR High School will be closed through Tuesday, the governor said. Yeshiva University officials said in a statement that classes are canceled through Tuesday. Residence halls and dining facilities will stay open.

"Students who have been quarantined or self-quarantined on campus will be receiving food and will be monitored by our health center along with guidance from city agencies," the university said.

Washington state is hard-hit

Of the deaths nationwide, 10 have been in Washington state. Nine of those deaths happened in King County, and a majority of them had ties to Life Care Center, a long-term nursing home in a Seattle suburb.

The nursing home's outbreak and a series of new cases over the past few days in states such as Florida, Georgia and Rhode Island have heightened concerns among health care experts, said Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

"As more areas see community spread, local communities may start employing tools that encourage social distancing," Messonnier said.

"The goal of social distancing is to limit exposure by reducing face-to-face contact and preventing spread among people in community settings."

In Bothell, Washington, just north of Seattle, the Northshore School District announced it would close all of its schools for up to 14 days due to the spread of the virus.

"I believe that the time has come for our district community to make an important shift," Northshore's superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid said in a statement announcing the closure. "This decision was made thoughtfully and with the support of a variety of district and community leaders."

A large number of cases are from a cruise ship

The nationwide number of infected people includes 46 repatriated citizens from the Diamond Princess cruise ship -- which docked in Japan last month after an outbreak and quarantine -- as well as three people repatriated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Texas has announced its first case, a patient from near Houston who is in his 70s and recently traveled overseas. He is hospitalized.

The number of U.S. cases has continued to rise since health officials allowed more labs to conduct tests for the virus.

Public health labs across the country using CDC test kits are expected to test up to 75,000 people by the end of the week, the CDC said. That's on top of the nearly 1 million people expected to be tested through commercial labs approved for testing by the US Food and Drug Administration.

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