In a press briefing on Wednesday, Feb. 12, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases,
In the U.S. there have been 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Thus far, California, Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington and Wisconsin are states with patients confirmed COVID-19 virus cases. Most had traveled from Wuhan China to the U.S. and two were infected by person-to-person transmission.
She said passenger screening of more than 30,000 passengers traveling from other parts of China to 11 U.S. airports have been screened, and none show symptoms or high risk of the novel coronavirus.
Yesterday, the World Health Organizations announced the official name of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus as COVID-19. Health officials say the disease acronym represents corona (CO), virus (VI), disease (D), and 19, the year it emerged. The novel virus first emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. It has killed more than 1,100 people there (including one American) and infected more than 42,000 others. Globally, thus far, 28 countries report confirmed cases of COVID-19 as health officials working to contain and slow down the spread of the novel virus.
Messonnier said the CDC does not recommend the use of facemasks as the novel coronavirus currently is not spreading in U.S. communities.
For more information, visit cdc.gov.