Editor's note, 6:05 p.m., March 16: This story will no longer be updated. Find our newU.S. map of coronavirus cases here.
Updated at 5:45 p.m. on March 13
Since Jan. 21, health officials have identified more than 1,600 cases of COVID-19 in the United States and 46 deaths. The respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus has spread to dozens of countries and has killed thousands since it was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December.
The cases reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include people who flew back to the U.S. on flights chartered by the U.S. State Department, such as those who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
New York, Washington state and California have seen especially large case numbers.
The virus is thought to spread mostly through close contact and is more dangerous for people who have underlying health conditions, the CDC says. So far, the virus has proved more dangerous for the elderly. The CDC recommends basic precautions such as hand-washing to avoid spreading the disease, and it discourages travel to several countries with outbreaks of COVID-19, including China, Iran, Italy and South Korea.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDAxODg3MTg0MDEyMTg2NTY3OTI5YTI3ZA004))