Coronavirus: How the CDC is trying to prevent more outbreaks
By: Giselle Martinez
There are seven different Coronavirus worldwide, known by scientists, that can infect humans and make them sick. They commonly cause bearable illnesses. Recently there has been a new virus, 2019-nCoV, identified by the Chinese Authorities.
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China and reported on January 9th, 2020 by the World Health Organization. The virus has recently caused outbreak in over 20 countries including Australia, Canada, India and the U.S. Reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated people have hardly any symptoms to being severely ill. Symptoms can include: fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The CDC has reported that, based on what has been seen previously in the MERS virus period, symptoms may appear as early as two days or as long as fourteen days after exposure. The CDC is recommending that the people who have visited China within the past two weeks and have developed symptoms to see a doctor immediately.
The first confirmed case in the United States was on January 30, 2020. A day later, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II, declared for the United States to assist the nation’s healthcare community in responding to the virus. As of today, there have now been five states with confirmed cases: Washington, California, Arizona, Illinois, and Massachusetts. According to the CDC as of February 3, 2020, cumulative from January 21, 2020, eleven people have tested positive, one hundred sixty seven tested negative and eighty seven pending: a total of two hundred sixty.
The United States government has taken action in response to the threat posed by the 2019-nCoV. They have suspended entry into the U.S. of foreigners who traveled through China in the past two weeks. It is also being applied to U.S. citizens, residents and family if they have been in China over the past two weeks.
The CDC states, "this is a very serious public health threat. The fact that this virus has caused severe illness and sustained person-to-person spread in China is concerning, but it’s unclear how the situation in the United States will unfold at this time."
As of right now the risk of infection is reliant on exposure. The people at high risk are healthcare workers taking care of the patients infected and others that are within close contact of the infected. According to the CDC, American public who isn't likely to be exposed is are at low risk of being infected. The U.S. public health hopes to catch new cases rapidly to prevent the 2019-nCoV from spreading further. The CDC expects more cases to be identified within the following days.
The CDC is currently working with WHO and state and local public health partners to respond to the 2019-nCoV. For more information visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website (CDC).
Currently, there is no vaccine for the 2019-nCoV infection and the best way to prevent being infected is to avoid being exposed to the virus. The CDC recommends: washing hands for at least twenty seconds, if soap and water are not available use a hand sanitizer with at least sixty percent alcohol, avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, steer clear of people who are sick, cover a cough and sneeze with a tissue, and clean and disinfect items that are frequently touched, to avoid getting sick. Since there is no vaccine, people who are infected should receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms and for severe cases care to support vital organ functions.