State Officials Mobilize To Get U.S. Hospitals, Local Providers Ready To Handle Any Coronavirus Cases

Stat: U.S. Hospitals And States Ready For More Cases Of Novel Virus From China
Even before the first U.S. case of a novel coronavirus that’s broken out in China was confirmed Tuesday, American health officials and hospitals were braced to respond. Hospitals and clinics were adapting their screening protocols to ask about travel to Wuhan, the city where the spread has been centered. State health departments were relaying messages to local providers, alerting them to be on the lookout for the infection’s symptoms. Labs were set to collect patient samples and ship them off for diagnostic testing.Even though this is a new virus, health officials said this was the type of situation they anticipated. They’ve prepared before for other emerging infectious diseases, including Zika and Ebola, as well as other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS. For this current outbreak, federal health officials have already issued recommendations for surveillance, testing, and care of patients, and hospitals have been following those guidelines. (Chakradhar and Joseph, 1/24)

The New York Times: Texas Student May Have Wuhan Coronavirus, As Dozens In U.S. Are Monitored
A Texas A&M University student was being isolated at home on Thursday as health officials said they were examining whether he could be the second known case of Wuhan coronavirus in the United States. The man had traveled from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak of the respiratory illness began, and health care providers determined that he met the criteria for coronavirus testing, health officials in Brazos County, Texas, said. (Baker, 1/23)

Dallas Morning News: Possible Coronavirus Case In Texas A&M Student Being Investigated In Brazos County
The student, a male in his 20s, recently had traveled from Wuhan, China, where the virus was identified earlier this month. He is being isolated at home until testing is complete. Health officials have not said whether the student lives on or off campus. (Marfin, 1/23)

Houston Chronicle: Brazos County Investigating First Suspected Case Of Coronavirus In Texas
"He presented at the ER out of concern because he'd been in Wuhan, not because of the severity of his symptoms," Dr. Eric Wilke, health authority for the Brazos County health district, said at a news conference broadcast on Facebook Thursday. "He's doing well." (Houston Chronicle, 1/23)

The Nashville Tennesseean: Coronavirus: Tennessee Tech Tested By Dept. Of Health
A Tennessee Tech University student is being tested for possible Coronavirus infection, according to the Tennessee Department of Health and the university. The student has not been identified. A student presented very mild symptoms possibly related to the virus. He is being kept isolated while precautionary testing is underway, the school indicated. "His recent travel history met the criteria for testing for possible infection with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)," a statement from Tennessee Tech read. "Health providers quickly recognized that the patient met the criteria for Coronavirus testing, but nothing has been confirmed." (Timms, 1/23)

NPR: Coronavirus May Spread Through Travel, But Can Airport Screenings Help Catch It?
Airports around the world are screening travelers from certain parts of China for symptoms of an illness that has sickened 830 people and killed 25. The illness, caused by a novel form of the coronavirus, originated in the city of Wuhan, China, and the bulk of the confirmed cases are in China. (McClurg, 1/23)

The Washington Post: Travel Ban Halts Flights Between Wuhan And U.S., As Airports Prepare To Screen Passengers For Coronavirus
More than half of the 566 flights scheduled from China’s Wuhan international airport were canceled Thursday, giving U.S. health officials a brief respite as they focused on the logistics of rerouting U.S.-bound travelers from the region to one of five airports for special screening. The U.S. airports have been designated as enhanced screening points for travelers arriving from the region believed to be the epicenter of a new strain of coronavirus that has killed at least 25 people and sickened more than 800 in China. (Aratani and Sun, 1/23)

The Hill: Administration To Give Senate Briefing On Coronavirus
Senators are set to hear from top federal health officials Friday regarding the outbreak of the new coronavirus originating in China. The administration’s briefing will be jointly hosted by the Senate Health and Foreign Relations committees, the panels said in a joint statement on Thursday. (Weixel, 1/23)

The Hill: State Department, CDC Issue Travel Advisory Over Chinese Virus
The State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are advising travelers to China to “exercise increased caution” due to the outbreak of the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan. According to the travel advisory, anyone who has traveled to Wuhan and feels sick should seek medical care right away. It also urged people to call ahead to the doctor’s office or emergency room to tell them about the recent travel and any symptoms. The agencies are urging Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Wuhan. (Weixel, 1/23)

Bloomberg: Stocks Jump, Futures Rise as Virus Fears on Hold: Markets Wrap
Still, traders remain cognizant of the chance the virus develops into a more devastating pandemic like the SARS illness that emerged in China 17 years ago.“Drastic steps, such as city-wide quarantine measures, can be a double-edged sword when it comes to market impact,” ING senior rates strategist Antoine Bouvet wrote in morning note. “On the one hand they signal the authorities are taking the problem seriously and help containment, on the other hand, they help paint a dramatic picture to investors unfamiliar with dealing with this sort of risk.” (Courcoulas, 1/23)