Wuhan pneumonia outbreak: San Francisco, New York, and LA start screening passengers for deadly new virus
The US health officials have ramped up their efforts to prevent the new "Wuhan virus" from gaining entry into the country. Travelers from Wuhan in China will undergo entry screening for symptoms associated with the virus at San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles airports. This activity comes in the wake of an outbreak in China caused by a novel virus, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a press statement.
“To further protect the health of the American public during the emergence of this novel coronavirus, CDC is beginning entry screening at three ports of entry. Investigations into this novel coronavirus are ongoing and we are monitoring and responding to this evolving situation,” Dr Martin Cetron, Director of CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said.
As part of the screening process, CDC will check passengers for signs of infection. They will inform passengers about what symptoms to watch out for over the next two weeks. If passengers show symptoms indicative of the disease, they will be isolated in the hospital.
"I think it is highly plausible that there will be at least one case in the United States. That is the reason we're moving forward so quickly with this screening," Dr Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a call with reporters.
Appearing for the first time in Wuhan in December, the virus has since spread to other parts of China. Until now, the virus has affected more than 200 people, claiming three lives, according to the BBC. The virus has also crossed boundaries, reaching neighboring countries of South Korea, Thailand and Japan.
People infected with the virus show signs of respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, said experts.
The virus is a new strain of coronavirus, a broad category of viruses that usually cause common cold, pneumonia or bronchitis. Studies have suggested that the Wuhan virus is closely related to Sars, another type of coronavirus that causes respiratory illness. Sars, which orginiated in Asia in 2003, had killed 774 people in the early 2000s across dozens of countries, mostly in Asia.
Though Americans are at low risk of contracting the Wuhan virus, the CDC maintains it is important to stay vigilant. "The CDC is actively monitoring this situation for pertinent information about the source of outbreak, and risk for further spread through person-to-person or animal-to-person transmission," reads the CDC statement.
Medical experts are still struggling to understand the new strain of coronavirus. So far, evidence suggests that most people caught the virus directly from animals. As researchers glean more information on the virus, CDC may adjust its screening procedures and other response activities.
Entry screening alone is not fool-proof but it is an important public health tool during periods of uncertainty and part of a multilayered government response strategy, says CDC.