Boston Man Has Coronavirus, Mass. Health Officials Confirm

The first case of the coronavirus in Mass. has been confirmed by state health officials.

The patient, a man in his 20s, recently returned to Boston from Wuhan, China, according to state health officials.

The man, a UMass Boston student, returned to Boston on Tuesday through Boston's Logan Airport. At that time, active screening had not begun at the airport, health officials said during a press conference Saturday.

The man sought medical care upon his return to Massachusetts, officials said.

“We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately,’’ Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said in a press release. "Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly."

Logan Airport is one of 20 U.S. airports where CDC officials will screen international passengers for coronavirus symptoms, according to The Associated Press.

Health officials said the risk to the public from the coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts. The man remains in isolation at his home.

"Once we learn more from our experience with this virus we'll know when he is safe to be taken out of isolation," Larry Madoff, medical director for the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said during the press conference. "You can be assured we won't release him from isolation until we're satisfied it's safe to do so."

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. This is a developing story.