Health officials on alert for spread of new coronavirus

NORRISTOWN >> The Montgomery County Office of Public Health is working closely with the Philadelphia and state Departments of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor developments surrounding the respiratory outbreak first detected in Wuhan, China, caused by the new 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

There are no confirmed cases of the new strain of coronavirus in Montgomery County or in Pennsylvania at this time. If a case of the new coronavirus strain is confirmed in Montgomery County, that information will be made public, according to health officials.

Nationwide, there are dozens of potential cases that are currently

being investigated by local, state and federal health officials.

The threat of Montgomery County residents being infected with this new coronavirus is low unless they have traveled to the Wuhan area of China or

have been in contact with someone from Wuhan who has been ill with suspected symptoms or has been confirmed positive.

Montgomery County’s Office of Public Health and the Department of Public Safety are reviewing and updating all relevant emergency response plans.

Coronavirus is a family of viruses that include the common cold and can

cause respiratory illness like the flu. Common coronaviruses can cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illness, like the common cold. Transmission occurs via respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing or more close contact. It is not spread through simple airborne transmission. Symptoms include fever, cough, and trouble breathing and

can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.

Montgomery County health officials remind residents that they should take the following steps to prevent respiratory illness like coronavirus and influenza: get a flu vaccine, wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, stay home when sick, cover your mouth and nose

when sneezing or coughing, avoid close contact with people who are ill, and take flu antivirals as prescribed.

To get the latest information and updates regarding the new coronavirus please visit the CDC website at https://www. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019nCoV/index.html

Other respiratory viruses, including the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are also occurring at this time. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has advised physicians on the latest information regarding the coronavirus and urged them to report suspected cases immediately in addition to the proper shipment methods of specimens of suspected cases to the state laboratory.