Chicago couple who contracted coronavirus released from Hoffman Estates hospital

The husband and wife from Chicago who contracted coronavirus have been discharged from a suburban hospital and will be in home isolation.

The couple were the first case of person-to-person transmission in the country.

The husband and wife “have been discharged to their home under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health,” AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates said in a statement Friday.

The patients issued a statement through the hospital: “With it being an uncomfortable situation, the care and the services we’ve received have been great. Everyone’s been very kind and very respectful. This has been the best health care experience we’ve ever had, but we’re definitely looking forward to getting home and getting life back to normal.”

The husband contracted the virus from his wife, who returned from central China on Jan. 13. Both are in their 60s.

Chicago, Cook County and state health officials did not return calls.

Dr. Allison Bartlett, associate medical director of the infection control program at the University of Chicago Medicine, said state health officials on Friday received test kits from federal health officials, eliminating the need to send samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

“I don’t think we really know how long people remain contagious on the back end with this virus. Repeat testing in the nose and throat to see if they’re still positive, that would be the most reassuring thing,” said Bartlett, who is not involved in treating the Chicago couple.

“I’m sure we’re veering on the side of overestimating how long to quarantine rather than underestimating,” she said.

In general, Bartlett said, no one is stationed at a patient’s home during a quarantine but there is a regular check-in process.

“Certainly public health authorities in an outbreak situation do have the authority ... but fortunately that’s not generally required,” she said.

Twelve people in the United States have been confirmed to have coronavirus, according to federal authorities. There have been 225 people who’ve tested negative. And 100 test results are still pending.

The vast majority of the more than 31,000 cases confirmed worldwide are in China. The virus has caused more than than 600 deaths, all but two of which were in China.