The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection announced today (Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020) that O’Hare has been added to the list of U.S. airports that will screen travelers in response to the outbreak of a deadly coronavirus strain.

That news comes in the wake of the first case of the virus in the U.S.

According to the CDC, a Washington state man in his 30s who returned last week from the outbreak’s epicenter, was hospitalized but is in good condition near Seattle.

The virus has infected about 300 people, all of whom had been in China, and killed six. The newly discovered virus can cause coughing, fever, breathing difficulty and pneumonia.

While originally thought to be spreading from animal-to-person, there are growing indications that limited person-to-person spread is happening. It’s unclear how easily this virus is spreading between people.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people such as has been seen with MERS and SARS. Past MERS and SARS outbreaks have been complex, requiring comprehensive public health responses.

According to the CDC, travelers from Wuhan to the United States will undergo entry screening for symptoms associated with the virus at five U.S. airports that receive most of the travelers from Wuhan: San Francisco, New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta and O’Hare in Chicago.

“Investigations into this novel coronavirus are ongoing and we are monitoring and responding to this evolving situation,” said Martin Cetron, M.D., Director of CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine.

Based on current information, the risk from 2019-nCoV to the American public is presently deemed to be low. Nevertheless, CDC is taking proactive preparedness precautions.

The outbreak in Wuhan, China has been linked to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting a possible zoonotic origin to the outbreak. There are ongoing investigations to learn more.

Entry screening is part of a layered approach used with other public health measures already in place to detect arriving travelers who are sick (such as detection and reporting of ill travelers by airlines during travel and referral of ill travelers arriving at a US port of entry by CBP) to slow and reduce the spread of any disease into the United States.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats.

Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people such as has been seen with MERS and SARS. Past MERS and SARS outbreaks have been complex, requiring comprehensive public health responses.

Many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan, China have reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, suggesting limited person-to-person spread is occurring.

There are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.

What to Expect

Access to the full genetic sequence of 2019-nCoV will help identify infections with this virus going forward.

The CDC says more cases may be identified in the coming days.

“Given what has occurred previously with MERS and SARS, it’s likely that some limited person-to-person spread will continue to occur,” the CDC says.

If you have information to report or questions about the coronavirus, the CDC recommends you contact your local health department. The CDC lists the Kane County contact information as follows:

Kane County Health Department

• 1240 N Highland Ave., Aurora
• Phone: (630) 444-3077
• Email Department
• Visit Website

SOURCE: CDC news release

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

===