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 “This is an ever-changing virus, and we’re learning more and more
about it every day,” said Gina Carnduff, director of infection
prevention for Memorial Health System, which has hospitals in
Springfield, Decatur, Jacksonville, Lincoln and Taylorville. “At
this time, however, the risk is very low that someone from central
Illinois would be infected with this virus.”
You’re at greater risk of getting the flu, which has caused between
6,600 and 17,000 deaths in the U.S. so far this season, according to
statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are seeing widespread flu activity across the region,” Carnduff
said. “Flu viruses can travel up to six feet when someone coughs or
sneezes. With the high flu activity currently occurring, you have a
high possibility of being exposed to the flu virus. It’s not too
late to get your flu shot and protect yourself.”
Regarding the new coronavirus, most of the people who have
contracted it were in the city of Wuhan in a province in central
China. The virus has since spread to other cities in China and the
nations of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the U.S.
To catch the virus at this point, a person would have to have been
in Wuhan or in contact with someone with a confirmed case, Carnduff
said. Health officials confirmed Tuesday that the individual from
the U.S., a man in his 30s from Washington state, contracted the
virus when he traveled to the region where the outbreak occurred.
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While the risk of catching the coronavirus remains low, Carnduff said people can
still follow the same common-sense precautions to prevent the spread of
illnesses such as the flu: Cover your mouth when you cough. Wash your hands
frequently. And maintain your distance if you see someone actively coughing or
sneezing.
The incubation period for the coronavirus is about 14 days, according to media
reports. Many of the fatalities to date have been elderly people with other
pre-existing conditions.
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was recently added as another major
airport where federal officials will screen passengers arriving from Wuhan for
the infection. The other airports are in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and San
Francisco.
Carnduff said central Illinois residents who regularly fly into O’Hare don’t
need to fear when they arrive. Any screened passengers suspected of carrying the
virus will be quarantined, she said.
As part of the ever-changing nature of the virus, officials initially thought it
was transmitted by animal-to-human contact. However, Carnduff said, “we just
learned that there are cases of human-to-human transmission.”
The first confirmed case was reported on Dec. 31.
“We’re still learning about this virus,” Carnduff said. “At this stage, we have
more questions than answers.”
[Memorial Health Systems] |
