Deadly Coronavirus Spreads to America with Three Cases Now Reported

In Wuhan, China, a terrifying scene is playing out.

It’s like something from a Hollywood blockbuster:  A pandemic outbreak of a deadly illness whose origin has yet to be determined, spreading like wildfire in the densely populated Chinese society…and beyond.

It’s called Coronavirus, and, when it reaches its conclusion it appears quite similar to pneumonia, with a SARS starter.

Just today, Chicago, Illinois reported its first case.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the patient is in her 60s and traveled to Wuhan in late December. She flew back to Chicago on Jan. 13.

Officials said she did not exhibit symptoms when she arrived. The incubation period for some can be around two weeks.

Dr. Allison Arwady of the Chicago Department of Public Health said the woman took all correct precaution, including contacting her doctor before arriving at the office.

Arwady said the patient’s condition has been stabilized and she has remained in her home. Her limited close contacts will be monitored.

On Twitter, a grim scene was shared, allegedly from a hospital in Wuhan; the epicenter of the outbreak.

“Nobody’s come to manage this.”

This video allegedly shows dead bodies lying in hospital aisles in Wuhan Red Cross Hospital, the city where the #coronavirus originated.

The virus has killed 26 people and infected at least 830 https://t.co/ThQQSVQHKX pic.twitter.com/qgs0E1GdgU

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 24, 2020

And, as if to drive home just how urgent the issue has become, China is working around the clock to create a special, separate hospital for those infected.

LOOK: China has started construction on a special hospital in Wuhan to be used to treat coronavirus-infected patients.

The hospital is designed to have 1,000 beds and they say it will be open by Feb. 3. pic.twitter.com/mBgIJyzpgd

— QuickTake by Bloomberg (@QuickTake) January 24, 2020

The illness seems to have a two-week incubation period, meaning that we could very well be 10 days or more away from the peak of this crisis.