Coronavirus | Photo by Soham Parikh | The Wright State Guardian
A common virus known as coronavirus (nCoV 2019) has quickly made its way from China, with 11 confirmed cases in the United States, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There are no confirmed deaths in the U.S. due to nCoV 2019
Symptoms of the virus can begin at two days post-exposure up until 14 days after. The symptoms include difficulty breathing, high fever and cough.
The CDC states that the onset can seem like the common cold or be as severe as pneumonia.
There are no current vaccinations to prevent the virus, but the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) recommends following the same precautions that should be taken during cold and flu season.
- Avoid contact with those who are sick
- Wash hands frequently
- Sanitize frequently contacted areas and items
A public health emergency has been declared by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar II on Jan. 31, according to the ODH.
At this time, there are no confirmed cases in Ohio. There was speculation of symptoms at Miami University on Jan. 28, but the students were found to not have the virus.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
The threat to the general public remains low
According to ODH, it is much more likely to contract influenza at this time than it is to contract nCoV 2019.
“A student in Army ROTC was in China a few weeks ago, but he was screened and allowed back in. He came back perfectly healthy,” said Zach Raynor, administrative specialist for Army ROTC at Wright State University (WSU).
Coronavirus has been declared a Class A infectious disease as of Jan. 23, according to ODH.
Declaring a disease as Class A qualifies that cases must be immediately reported to the health department in which the person diagnosed lives or is being treated, according to the ODH.
There is currently a level four travel advisory, advising travelers to refrain from going to China. This advisory came from the U.S. State Department on Feb. 1.
