PENNSYLVANIA, USA — U.S. health officials warn an outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus is not a matter of if, but when. Based on what's happening around the world, there's no reason to assume otherwise.
The number of Coronavirus cases in South Korea has reached more than 1,700 at this point, making it the country with the highest number of confirmed cases outside of China.
Millersville University recalled a student studying abroad in the Asian country. While officials say the student is heading home, they did not specify when the student will return or if they will be quarantined or not.
School officials also say they are monitoring students studying abroad in other countries.
Villanova University also recalled its students studying abroad in Italy, where the number of coronavirus cases has passed 500, with 14 people dead. Outside of Asia, That's the worst region with the virus.
In Harrisburg, an employee at the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union was tested for the Coronavirus after he came in contact with someone who was recently in Italy.
PSECU offficials say that person has not shown any signs of the virus and is not being quarantined, but he will stay home until the patient who was potentially exposed has been officially cleared.
Credit Union officials also said they are ramping up cleaning and disinfection efforts, and are distributing hand sanitizer through the office as well.
A York County couple is set to be released from quarantine at a military base in Texas soon, after spending weeks in quarantine aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Hundreds of people, including dozens of Americans contracted the Coronavirus.
While Bill and Colette Smedley have been around infected patients for the last month, PA Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says they will be allowed to come home, "If they had been sick then I know that the medical personnel will make sure they are completely well and not shedding the virus anymore, and then they will come home."
The Smedleys were among hundreds of Americans who were transported back to the U.S. from Asia. According to The Los Angeles Times, more than 8,400 returning travelers have entered California since Feb. 2.
The number of people being monitored for COVID-19 in the Golden State is in the thousands. But CDC officials are worried about the latest confirmed case in Northern California, where the patient had not been in contact with anyone who had traveled to China recently.
“At this time, the patient’s exposure is unknown," the CDC said in a statement Wednesday. "It’s possible this could be an instance of community spread of COVID-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States."
Despite this, California Governor Gavin Newsom says the risk to the general public remains low.
“The case [at UC Davis Medical Center] understandably generated a lot of attention, but didn’t surprise [state health officials],” Newsom said. “Accordingly, when hearing about it, we initiated a series of protocols that we were prepared to advance.”
Among those protocols, Newsom mentioned tracking and tracing of people connected to the infected individual and a “deep partnership” with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] on testing, which he said is the state’s principal focus
Newsom did his best to alleviate anxiety related to the spread of the illness, citing the protocols California has implemented in the past with such viruses as h5n1, Ebola, SARS, etc.
Pennsylvania laid out a battle plan on Wednesday, when Levine explained DOH is doing everything it can to prepare for a statewide outbreak.
"We are working to make sure our health systems, first responders and county and municipal health departments have the resources they need to respond," Levine said.
To date, the Wolf Administration has:
- Activated the Department of Health’s Emergency Operations Center to allow for enhanced response coordination;
- Maintained communication and outreach with federal, state and local partners;
- Provided symptom monitoring for residents returning to Pennsylvania from China;
- Provided information to health care professionals, businesses and educational settings; and
- Reviewed and adapted current pandemic flu plans for COVID-19.
As for personal action, do the following:
-Covering coughs and sneezes
-Washing hands
-Cleaning surfaces
-Using alcohol based hand sanitizer
-Stay home if you are sick
As of Thursday, Feb. 27, there were more than 82,500 cases of COVID-19 around the world. More than 2,800 people have died from the virus, and there are at least 60 confirmed cases in the United States.
CDC officials expect the number of cases in the U.S. to rise in the coming weeks.