Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
States Grapple With Emerging Threat Of Coronavirus As They Prepare For More Possible Cases
Boston Globe: Mass. Won’t Say Whether The State Has Seen Suspected Coronavirus Cases
The federal government is monitoring more than 100 people for the novel coronavirus that has thrown China into crisis. These are patients from 26 states who suffered respiratory symptoms after traveling to China and whose state health departments sent samples for testing to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Was Massachusetts one of those states? State officials won’t say. (Freyer, 1/28)
The Baltimore Sun: Coronavirus Preparation Underway At Maryland Hospitals And Schools As State Awaits Results Of First Test
Behind the passcode-protected doors of the Biocontainment Unit on the eighth floor of Johns Hopkins Hospital, the hallway and rooms are empty except for three nurses holding protective gear they just removed according to a strict protocol. Medical staff has been training here nonstop since the unit was created in response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak and are ready to care for seriously ill patients from the coronavirus. (Cohn and Bowie, 1/29)
The CT Mirror: Blumenthal, Murphy Press CDC On Coronavirus Outbreak
With Connecticut one of 23 states where federal health officials have tested travelers from China for the coronavirus, the state’s U.S. senators on Tuesday asked the Trump administration to provide updates and detailed information on its response to the outbreak. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, along with 28 Democratic colleagues in the Senate, sent a letter Tuesday to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar asking him to keep Congress updated with the latest information regarding the severity of the disease. (Radelat, 1/28)
The Washington Post: Students Studying In China Told To Return To D.C. Area As Coronavirus Spreads
Students from universities in the Washington area who are studying abroad in China have been told to return home amid the coronavirus outbreak that has left more than 100 people dead and thousands infected. American University students were told Tuesday to leave Beijing and return to their campus in Northwest Washington “as soon as possible,” said Jennifer Fei, a junior and international studies major who was studying in the Chinese capital. (Lumpkin, 1/28)
Denver Post: No Coronavirus Cases In Colorado As Third Patient Tests Negative
A third person evaluated for possible infection with a new coronavirus tested negative, meaning there’s no evidence the disease has reached Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The three people who were tested had developed flu-like symptoms after traveling to China, where the new virus is spreading. (Wingerter, 1/28)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: New Case Of Coronavirus Being Investigated In Philadelphia, Student At Penn Charter Tested Negative, Health Department Announces
A Chinese exchange student at William Penn Charter School who fell ill does not have coronavirus, a respiratory illness that broke out in China earlier this month, but a new potential case is being investigated in Philadelphia, the city’s Department of Public Health announced Tuesday. The new case reported to the city Tuesday relates to an individual who began experiencing respiratory virus symptoms after being in China and sought treatment in Philadelphia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that anyone who experiences flu-like symptoms — a fever, cough, difficulty breathing — after traveling to China be tested for coronavirus. The city health department could not say whether the individual was a local resident or a visitor, or give the individual’s age. (Gantz, 1/28)
Boston Globe: Student At The White Mountain School In Bethlehem Among Two People Being Tested For Coronavirus In New Hampshire
A student at The White Mountain School in Bethlehem, N.H., who recently traveled to China is one of two people being tested for coronavirus in New Hampshire, officials said. Littleton Regional Healthcare posted a statement on Facebook that said the student returned to the United States on Jan. 6 and came to the hospital with “mild flu-like symptoms” on Jan. 23. (Sweeney, 1/28)
San Francisco Chronicle: How Serious Is Coronavirus Risk For Bay Area Residents? Low — For Now
The new coronavirus that has sickened more than 6,000 people worldwide and killed more than 130 is causing major upheaval across China, the epicenter of the illness. It’s also alarming Bay Area residents who — at least for now — are at very low risk of illness, but are stocking up on face masks and asking health care providers for advice on protecting themselves and loved ones. (Allday, 1/28)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Should I Be Freaking Out? What Can You Do To Protect Yourself From The China Coronavirus
How worried should you be about the coronavirus? Ohio officials are investigating two possible cases at Miami University, while the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the disease -- from the same family as MERS and SARS -- an “emerging, rapidly evolving situation.” (Bamforth, 1/28)
Miami Herald: Miami Airport Begins Coronavirus Screening
Miami International Airport is screening travelers for potential cases of novel coronavirus under the direction of federal health officials as the epidemic spreads rapidly across China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quarantine station at MIA added additional screening for the virus starting Monday. The station is one of 20 at ports and land border crossings across the country. (Conarck and Dolven, 1/28)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Two Miami University Students Being Tested For Coronavirus, Flu Still More Of A Concern In Ohio
Two Miami University students, who recently traveled to China, were tested for the coronavirus, Ohio health officials confirmed Tuesday morning. The two students are in isolation at their off-campus home, said Melanie Amato, press secretary for Ohio Department of Health. (Washington, 1/28)
MPR: Coronavirus May Extend Minneapolis Man’s China Visit
Though state officials have yet to detect a case of the novel coronavirus in Minnesota, one Minneapolis family is being affected by it. Last week, Yulin Yin traveled to Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began. (Williams, 1/28)
