As coronavirus spreads to U.S., what are Centre County health systems doing to prepare?
As an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus, an upper respiratory illness, spreads to the United States, central Pennsylvania health systems are taking action to prevent the spread of the virus.
The coronavirus strain “2019-nCoV,” first detected in Wuhan, China in December, has infected over 4,400 people in multiple countries and led to over 100 deaths, all concentrated in mainland China. Besides China and the United States, the virus has been detected in Hong Kong, Nepal, Japan, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Germany, Canada and France, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers tracking its spread.
Penn State issued a news release Friday about the new coronavirus, saying it is “closely monitoring” the outbreak of respiratory illnesses caused by the virus.
“While we are taking every precaution to prepare for an outbreak, it’s very important to note that there are no cases of 2019-nCoV at Penn State and no reports of the virus in Pennsylvania at this time,” said Dr. Robin Oliver-Veronesi, senior director of University Health Services at Penn State, in a release. “Coronavirus symptoms can be very similar to those of the flu, which is very active right now. So, we urge anyone with flu-like symptoms to contact their health care provider for an evaluation.”
Unanswered questions about coronavirus
Stanley Martin, director of infectious diseases for Geisinger in Pennsylvania, said physicians in the United States still have many unanswered questions about the biology of the new virus and from where it emerged.
“What’s the attack rate? How contagious is it?” he said. “We’re not really sure where this virus stands right now. It obviously can be lethal. ... The mortality rate is close to 3% or so. What would put a person at risk for developing respiratory stress and risk of death is unclear.”
Coronaviruses are fairly common, he said, and are associated with upper respiratory tract infections, which can manifest in fever, sore throat and a cough.
“What’s particular about this novel coronavirus is it’s not just causing an upper respiratory tract infection, it’s causing a lower respiratory tract infection,” which is leading to pneumonia and trouble breathing in some cases, he said. In those more severe cases, the virus can also cause severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death, according to the World Health Organization.
Closely tracking travel history, virus’ spread
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is screening travelers coming from China to the U.S. at 20 airports and on Monday issued a Level 3 Warning for China, advising people to avoid all essential travel to China.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are screening all patients for a travel history to China and any respiratory symptoms, and diligently following the most current guidelines issued by the (CDC). We are also working directly with University Health Services at Penn State to monitor the issue,” said Carrie Hanley, manager of infection prevention and control for Mount Nittany Health in Centre County.
Geisinger receives updates every day about the spread of the coronavirus, said Martin. The health system also has the ability to collect specimen for coronavirus testing and send it to the state Department of Health. It also has developed internal guidelines and policies for how to manage patients presenting with coronavirus symptoms and prevent the further spread of the virus.
So far, there are five confirmed novel coronavirus cases in the U.S. in California, Arizona, Washington and Illinois, all travelers returning from China. There are no confirmed person-to-person transmission coronavirus cases in the U.S., said Martin, but “there’s a reasonable chance that we will have one in Pennsylvania at some point,” given its proximity to New York and Washington, D.C.
The virus has an incubation period of about two to 14 days, according to the CDC.
Preventing the spread of the virus
To prevent the spread of the virus, health professionals at all major Centre County health systems recommend getting the flu shot if you haven’t already, using hand sanitizer, washing your hands with soap and water, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, staying home when you are sick, covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.
For Penn State University Park students experiencing coronavirus symptoms, screening is available through the UHS Advice Nurse at 863-4463, said a Penn State release. The university is also urging any faculty and staff presenting respiratory symptoms with a fever who have traveled to Wuhan or nearby areas in China in the last two weeks to contact their health care provider.
Penn State’s Global Safety Office is also watching the situation, but has not placed any travel restrictions at this time.
“The safety of all our students, faculty and staff traveling internationally is our utmost priority. In line with our standard practices for international travel, we advise all our travelers to conduct international travel within their own risk tolerance and comfort level,” said Joe Thurston, global safety analyst with Penn State Global Programs, in a release. “Should the risks of continuing travel to China increase based on new information, the University will communicate with students, and if necessary, make changes to planned programming.”
Patients at Penn State Health Services are required to wear a mask if they present with upper respiratory symptoms, and clinicians ask travel history at every visit. Any suspected cases of the new coronavirus will be tested and reported to the state Department of Health immediately, said Penn State.
Martin said the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus is “anxiety provoking for good reason.” As the virus’s spread has been “particularly high” in China, it is good to take precautions, he said.
The most important thing to do, he said, is “emphasize the education component as we learn more about the virus (and) understand that right now people should be mostly concerned about those who have recently traveled to China or have had contact with those who have recently traveled to China.”
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