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Second Person In Maryland Being Tested For Coronavirus, Health Officials Say

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- State and federal health officials are monitoring a second Maryland patient to see if they contracted the deadly novel coronavirus that has sickened tens of thousands of people worldwide.

The state health department said one patient from Maryland currently has tests pending with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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A previous patient from Maryland tested negative for the virus, which scientists call 2019-nCoV.

A Towson University professor also stayed away from campus after coming in contact with a family member who was being tested for the virus; that family member later tested negative.

It's unclear if the first patient was the Towson professor's relative and officials have not confirmed if the cases are the same.

Residents across Baltimore told WJZ they are concerned.

"I'm very concerned because it's spreading very quickly," Patrice Freeman, of Baltimore, said. "It's deadly."

Other residents were more optimistic.

"I think it will get contained," another Baltimore resident said. "I think it will be addressed."

Worldwide, there have been more than 20,000 cases of the new coronavirus and at least 427 deaths, CBS News reports. Eleven cases have been confirmed in the United States as of Tuesday.

The outbreak is believed to have started in Wuhan, China.

Health officials are warning anyone who traveled to China or other areas affected by 2019-nCoV to monitor themselves for fever, cough and difficulty breathing for two weeks after their return.

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