With global travel, outbreak in China worth monitoring

CDC notes that risk to U.S. right now is low

China is working to control an outbreak of a new virus that has already reached four other countries and territories - including one case in the United States. But what is known about the virus? According to the Associated Press, the outbreak is a new type of coronavirus, spread by human to human contact.

So far since December, six people have died, and 291 have been infected in China, the AP reports. Cases have been confirmed overseas among Chinese travelers in South Korea, Japan and Thailand.

In the U.S. case, the patient is in isolation in Everett, Wash., and is a Washington state resident. He traveled from China to Washington, and officials are reaching out to people he may have had contact with in the

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states, CNN reports.

On the surface, one might not be too concerned in the U.S. about an outbreak of illness that started in Wuhan, China. After all, China is roughly 6,450 miles from Yuma – a distance that would require somewhere around 15 hours on a plane to traverse, according to Google Maps. It’s far, far away.

However, we live in a day and age of global travel. One can hop on an airplane and, 15 hours later, travel from Arizona to China, or from China to Arizona.

And because of that global connectivity, there is a heightened risk of an illness potentially wrecking havoc on a global scale.

Mind you, this isn’t intended to spark fear in the hearts of Yumans, but instead, to raise awareness of the fact that an illness on the other side of the globe can have a ripple effect reaching outward to us. It’s a good idea to know what’s going on.

So let’s take a look at coronaviruses. The category is a large one which includes the common cold, pneumonia, MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

Initial symptoms of outbreak in China include fever, dry cough, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath. Severe cases have included pneumonia, kidney failure and death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

But, here’s the important thing to note. At the moment, the CDC says the risk to the American public is deemed to be low, although the CDC is “taking proactive preparedness precautions,” including passenger screenings at five U.S. airports that have direct or connecting flights to Wuhan, China.

The CDC notes that this virus can be spread from person to person, but not as easily as other viruses such as measles or influenza, CNN reports.

For now, one should focus on the fact that it’s cold and flu season in the states – and those precautions to ward against cold and flu happen to be the best at preventing coronaviruses. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds – or use an alcoholbased hand sanitizer if soap isn’t available - and stay healthy, Yuma.