The New England state of Rhode Island reported its first confirmed case of coronavirus this weekend.
State officials said at a news conference on Sunday that the patient is a man in his 40s who recently traveled to Italy, France and Spain. He had not returned to work and had limited his travel in the state since returning from Europe, state health officials said.
He is currently being treated in a hospital, and his immediate family has quarantined themselves at home, officials said. They added that they are trying to reach some 40 other people with whom the man had been in contact. They are asking those people to self-quarantine at their homes for a 14-day period beginning from the time of their contact.
However, Rhode Island health department director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said widespread community transmission is not a factor for now, and that the current situation came as no surprise. Moreover, only those who exhibit symptoms are to be tested for the virus.
There are currently 73 confirmed cases of the virus in the United States, as of Sunday, March 1, including a number of new cases in Washington State.
7,000-Plus Cases Outside China, Pandemic Closer
The numbers are continuing to climb worldwide; there are now more than 7,000 cases in at least 60 countries outside China.
In South Korea – the country with the largest outbreak of the virus outside China – there were 586 new cases on Sunday alone, bringing the national total to 3,736 confirmed cases of the virus.
In Iran, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, there were 385 new cases and 54 people who died of the virus this weekend, bringing the official total to 987 confirmed cases.
In Europe, the largest outbreak is in Italy, where there are a total of 1,694 confirmed cases and 34 people have died of the virus.
Northern Ireland reported its first case this weekend and British officials said there are 35 confirmed cases of the virus in the UK. However, 10,000 Britons have been tested for the virus, according to the British Daily Mail, including 1,000 in the past 24 hours.
The British Government is preparing to bring in new emergency powers to help stop the virus from spreading, including powers to give certain parts of the public sector the ability to suspend laws, including health and safety measures, in order to cope with a pandemic, according to the report.
Australia also reported its first death from the virus this weekend, with another 25 confirmed cases as well. The patient, a 78-year-old man who had been a passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise liner docked off the coast of Japan, died of the virus at a hospital in Perth. His wife is in stable condition, according to Western Australia Health Department chief health officer Andrew Robertson.
WHO Warns: Avoid Crowds If You’re Over 60
The World Health Organization warned people over age 60 this weekend to avoid crowded areas and public transportation. In addition, the organization also urged people in the “over 60” group to pass on routine doctors’ appointments at outpatient clinics and hospitals if they aren’t really necessary.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meanwhile raised its global risk level this weekend to its maximum level, “very high.”
“Most people in the United States will have little immediate risk of exposure to this virus,” the CDC said in the risk assessment on its website. “This virus is NOT currently spreading widely in the United States.
“However, it is important to note that current global circumstances suggest it is likely that this virus will cause a pandemic. This is a rapidly evolving situation and the risk assessment will be updated as needed.
“More cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States. It’s also likely that person-to-person spread will continue to occur, including in communities in the United States. It’s likely that at some point, widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur.
“Widespread transmission of COVID-19 would translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, workplaces, and other places for mass gatherings may experience more absenteeism.
“Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and transportation industry may also be affected. Health care providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed.
“At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it. Nonpharmaceutical interventions would be the most important response strategy.”
There are, however, two different firms currently developing vaccines for the virus that are likely to be able to produce one within the next couple of months – one in the United States and the other in the State of Israel.
The vaccine being produced in the State of Israel has already gone to a clinical trial, which should take about eight to ten weeks. Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis has said he will expedite the regulatory process due to the global crisis at hand. If all goes well with that trial and the subsequent regulatory process, the vaccine will be on the market about 90 days after that.
And finally . . .
The US Surgeon General this weekend urged the average American to stop. buying. masks.
The reason has to do with the lack of effectiveness of a mask in preventing a person from contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus if they are healthy.
Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS!
They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching , but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!
https://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General)
Frankly, face masks are not so effective, says Dr. Jerome M. Adams. The masks are good for those who are sick and need to prevent their germs from spreading to others, and for health care workers who need to minimize their risk when working in close quarters with those who are ill.
“The best way to protect yourself and your community is with everyday preventive actions, like staying home when you are sick and washing hands with soap and water, to help slow the spread of respiratory illness,” Adams says.