Coronavirus preparedness on the Central Coast
CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION) There are international concerns about the coronavirus and how fast it is spreading. It's confirmed to have been transferred by animals to humans and then from humans to humans.
Health professionals say so far the risk on the Central Coast is low but they are keeping a close eye on the coronavirus.
"Some people may have a relatively minor case. They would have a fever-- respiratory symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing. For some people, they get severe disease. They require a breathing machine to breath for them or it can be fatal," Says Dr. Casey Grover, the Emergency Department Medical Director at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
So far, the coronavirus has sickened hundreds of people and killed 17 people in China.
"It's like a respiratory illness that we would otherwise see this time of year," Says Dr. Casey Grover,
The most recent case in Washington state was discovered after a man traveling to the Wuhan region in China contracted the virus during his visit.
"When new viruses pop up.. there's a lot of unknown and we have to remain pretty fluid with the process and any updates and guidelines," says Heather Bowers, the Infection Preventionist with CHOMP. "We're also actively looking for the CDC for any updates."
Local health officials say for people who are concerned to continue monitoring what the Center for Disease Control is finding about the developments of the virus.
Screening centers have been set up at airport hubs around the country for people coming to the us from the Wuhan region in China. Those hubs include JFK, Chicago O'hare, Atlanta, SFO, and LAX.
