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Testing of patients with flu-like symptoms for the new coronavirus has begun in five U.S. cities as medical professionals look to better combat the growing sickness.
Healthcare professionals are conducting the testing in New York, Los Anegles, Chicago, San Fransisco and Seattle, announces the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to an NBC News report. Testing will likely take place in other U.S. cities as the spread of the virus continues.
The purpose of the new coronavirus testing in major cities is so medical professionals can track whether the virus is spreading across the United States, says Dr. Nancy Messonnier, who directs the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The results of these tests could lead to changes in how healthcare professionals respond to the illness.
Just 15 cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed in the U.S. as of Monday, according to the CDC. Those who tested positive did so in California, Washington, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois and Massachusetts. Globally, more than 73,000 cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed as of Tuesday, reports CBS News.