The new coronavirus, which has sick thousands of people in China and puts the planet on the brink, is not spreading in the U.S.
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (part of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), clarified that, “we understand that many people in the United States are afraid of this virus.”
“The virus does not spread in the community at this time in the United States,” she added. “That is why we continue to believe that the immediate risk for the general public from the new virus is currently low.”
In the United States, 110 individuals in 26 states are tested for the coronavirus. Of those men, 32 tested negative, 5 tested positive and the remainder of the test results are pending.
According to the CDC, no new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed overnight; all five cases were in persons visiting China. Four of the five cases have been identified with one coronavirus outbreak in Southern California and Chicago, Washington, and Arizona.
CDC is advocating for Americans not to travel to Hubei Province and Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, in China as a whole. Travelers to China should discuss travel plans with their healthcare providers, especially older adults and people with underlying health issues. Anybody traveling in China should avoid contact with sick people, and should avoid animal products such as unwanted meat, animal markets, and animal products. You should also thoroughly and often wash your hands.
Five U.S. airports continue to screen Wuhan passengers for pneumonia-like symptoms, such as fever and respiratory problems in New York, San Francisco, the Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta airports. So far, some 2,400 passengers have been screened in airports, with screening decreasing in Wuhan following strict travel prohibitions and quarantine.
