States Work To Identify, Contain Any Possible Cases Of Coronavirus
News stories from across the country look at where patients are being monitored over concerns of infections.
Sacramento Bee:
New Online Map Tracks Coronavirus, But Is That CA Dot Right?
Computer engineers at Johns Hopkins University created a nifty online dashboard that allows the public to track the spread of new coronavirus worldwide, but the tool caused some consternation Monday among media and public health officials in California. That’s because the dashboard map pinpointed a case of coronavirus in the Fresno area rather than in two Southern California counties, as public health officials had announced over the weekend. (Anderson, 1/27)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Coronavirus Outbreak: SF Center Ready In Case Illness Hits Here, Officials Say
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Monday that the city is activating its emergency operations center to centralize a response to any local cases of the deadly outbreak of coronavirus. The virus, with its epicenter in Wuhan, China, has so far sickened five people in the United States, including two in Southern California. (Fracassa, 1/27)
Boston Globe:
Two People In N.H. Are Being Tested For Coronavirus
Two people from New Hampshire who recently traveled to Wuhan City, China, have become ill and are being tested for coronavirus, the newly discovered virus that has sickened hundreds, state health authorities said. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement the two people, who were not identified, sought medical care for respiratory ailments and are now recovering. (McDonald, 1/27)
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Possible Coronavirus Case At Philadelphia’s Penn Charter School Leads School To Announce It Will End Chinese Exchange Program
Philadelphia health officials are investigating whether a Chinese exchange student at William Penn Charter School may have contracted coronavirus, the respiratory illness that has sickened thousands and killed 80 people in China, where it originated. The school later told that it was ending the exchange program. The possible victim was among a group of 18 high school students and three adults from China who are visiting Penn Charter. They had a connecting flight in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, on the way to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York earlier this month, Sharon Sexton, a spokesperson for the school, said in a statement. (Gantz, 1/27)
Texas Tribune:
Coronavirus In Texas: State Officials Say All Four Cases Are Negative
After multiple false alarms in recent days, Texas health officials confirmed Monday that there are no confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus in the state. All four suspected cases of the virus have tested negative, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.The virus has killed dozens of people and shut down a city in China, health officials said Monday. (Fernandez, 1/27)
Denver Post:
Coronavirus In Colorado: 1 Possible Case Under Investigation, 2 Others Ruled Out
Three people who recently returned to Colorado from China were flagged as possibly having contracted a newly discovered strain of the coronavirus, but so far the state hasn’t had a confirmed case. Testing ruled out the virus for two of the patients, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still investigating the third case, state health officials said Monday. The new coronavirus causes a fever, coughing and shortness of breath — all symptoms that can come from more common illnesses, like seasonal flu. (Wingerter, 1/27)
MPR:
Lab Tests Negative For Coronavirus In 2 Suspected Minnesota Cases
Laboratory results from two possible Minnesota cases of coronavirus have come back negative, meaning that no cases from the December outbreak of the disease in Wuhan, China, have been confirmed here. State officials on Friday said they were monitoring people who’d traveled to China within the past two weeks and had developed flu-like symptoms. (Nelson, 1/27)
Houston Chronicle:
George Bush Airport To Begin Screening Travelers For Coronavirus
George Bush Intercontinental Airport will now screen travelers for the coronavirus as a precaution the airport announced Monday night. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named the Houston airport among 15 others that would begin testing. Initially, the CDC only required screening at five major U.S. airports, none of which were located in Texas. (Gill, 1/27)
The Baltimore Sun:
First Maryland Resident Being Tested For Coronavirus, State Health Department Says
A Maryland resident is being tested for the new coronavirus that has sickened thousands and killed dozens in an outbreak that began in — and remains centered in — China but has crept to other countries in recent days. The person or their location was not identified by the Maryland Department of Health, which said the patient is in good condition and being monitored while awaiting test results. (Cohn, 1/27)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth Screening Patients For Deadly Coronavirus
Northeast Ohio’s three largest health systems are screening patients for the Novel Coronavirus, which has caused a pneumonia outbreak in China. The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and MetroHealth confirmed they are starting to screen patients who recently traveled to China, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The epicenter of the virus is Wuhan, China. (Christ, 1/24)
Detroit Free Press:
Coronavirus Scare Has Michigan Universities Monitoring Travel Plans
The University of Michigan has issued a travel warning for students and faculty planning travel to China in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Other Michigan universities are also carefully watching to see whether restrictions from travel are needed. U-M, Michigan State University and Wayne State University all told the Free Press they currently don't have students in the region of the country most affected. (Jordan Shamus and Jesse, 1/27)
Detroit Free Press:
4th Michigander Tested For Deadly Wuhan Coronavirus As Outbreak Grows
A new suspected case of the novel coronavirus believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, has been identified in Washtenaw County, state health officials said Monday. A sample from that person — the fourth from Michigan — was sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the global coronavirus outbreak continues to grow. (Jordan Shamus, 1/27)
