January 24, 2020. Unless you have been in China in the past few weeks or are presently in contact with someone who recently visited China, the risk of your family becoming infected with coronavirus illness are presently extremely remote, says the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
However, stay tuned. This current outbreak is a rapidly evolving situation and must be taken very seriously. Previous similar outbreaks of this disease spread rapidly and widely around the world resulting in numerous cases and many deaths. The present outbreak has already reached the US. A case was diagnosed on January 21 in an adult living in Washington State. He had recently returned from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of this outbreak.
Coronaviruses typically cause cold-like illnesses that at onset are indistinguishable from other colds. In fact, most adults and children have already had a coronavirus illness. However, occasionally a new and virulent strain emerges that can trigger pneumonia and other life- threatening respiratory conditions. Such outbreaks have occurred at least twice in recent decades. Young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals were especially at risk. The current outbreak seems to be due to such a strain.
Coronaviruses are common in animals, and only rarely and for unknown reasons spread to humans, possibly through very close contact. The spread from human to human is similar to the spread of other viral illnesses: via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes and touching objects contaminated by coughs and sneezes. The severity of outbreaks is difficult to predict. It depends on the characteristics of the virus, how contagious it is, the severity of the resulting illness and other factors.
Much is being done to try to contain the illness. In China, Wuhan has been quarantined with travel out of the city and surrounding areas severely restricted. In the US, travelers arriving from Wuhan are being examined at US airports. However only their temperatures are taken. Both quarantines and measuring temperatures are of limited help.
There is currently no vaccine or medication to prevent infection. The chances of acquiring the infection can be reduced by having your children and yourself doing the following:
● wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. For information about optimum hand washing, see CDC’s Clean Hands Save Lives!
● avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
● avoid close contact with people who are sick. The early symptoms are indistinguishable from those of a cold.
● Wearing face masks is of questionable efficacy. Moreover, it is difficult to keep masks on small children.
● Consider limiting travel to affected areas.
If you have cold-like symptoms, you can help protect others by doing the following:
● stay home while you are sick
● avoid close contact with others
● cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands
● clean and disinfect objects and surfaces
● stay home and rest
If you are concerned about your symptoms, check with your healthcare provider.
For more information about the current outbreak in China, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/novel-coronavirus-2019.html
For more information about Coronaviruses: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html
For travel health information: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/pneumonia-china
