And today I learned that the plane with US citizens being evacuated from Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, stopped in Anchorage on the way to their destination in California.
These two bits of information don't cause me to worry or run out and buy a face mask, but they do highlight that in today's world we aren't as far away from things as we sometimes think. And if we consider that the flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919, it seems to have spread around the world in an era when airplanes were small and transoceanic passengers went by ship.
At the moment, we know little about this illness. Here's what the CDC (US Center for Disease Control) says about risk assessment:
"Risk Assessment
Outbreaks of novel virus infections among people are always of public health concern. The risk from these outbreaks depends on characteristics of the virus, including whether and how well it spreads between people, the severity of resulting illness, and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, vaccine or treatment medications).
This is a 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.
The risk to individuals is dependent on exposure. At this time, some people will have an increased risk of infection, for example healthcare workers caring for 2019-nCoV patients and other close contacts. For the general American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus, the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV is considered low." (emphasis added)
The CDC site gives a lot more information you might find interesting, such as:
"Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS and SARS.
CDC and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are continuing to conduct enhanced entry screening of passengers who have been in Wuhan within the past 14 days at 5 designated U.S. airports. Given travel out of Wuhan has been shut down, the number of passengers who meet this criteria are dwindling.
Going forward, CBP officials will monitor for travelers with symptoms compatible with 2019-nCoV infection and a travel connection with China and will refer them to CDC staff for evaluation at all 20 U.S. quarantine stations."
Of course, screening travelers requires travelers to be forthcoming about where they have been and whether they've had any symptoms.
Meanwhile, while you worry about coronavirus, remember to look both ways before crossing the street, put your phone away while you're driving, and follow all the common rules that will prevent you from getting hurt or sick or from dying from more common every day risks.
From the National Safety Council:
- Unintentional injuries are the #1 cause of death among people ages 1 to 44
- Motor vehicle crashes and drowning consistently rank as top causes of unintentional death in this age group
- Males 35-44 are nearly three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than females
- 97% to 99% of injuries are caused by our own errors and mistakes
Thank you for not running out to buy a face mask. Reported in New York Times Wednesday: Already there are shortages of masks because of panic hoarding, which can mean that healthcare workers -- the ones who need protection -- will find it difficult to get necessary supplies. CDC is dealing with manufacturers to try to preserve the supply chain for hospitals.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, ignorance threatens our safety and well-being.