Louisiana Department of Health officials say that there are currently no confirmed cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the state.
The CDC says that five patients in the United States have been diagnosed with Coronavirus. All of the patients have traveled to and from Hubei Province in China.
State Health Officials say that preliminary steps have been taken to prevent the spread of the virus to Louisiana.
According to the CDC, risk to the public at large remains low at this time.
"The Department continues to monitor all information on Novel Coronavirus and remains ready should there be a need to respond to an outbreak of this illness or any other contagious illness. We regularly review and test our statewide emergency response plans,” Dr. Alex Billioux, assistant secretary for the Office of Public Health said in a press release.
Healthcare providers have been alerted to be on the look-out for patients with respiratory symptoms and a history of travel to China in the last 14 days.
“We are learning more about this virus each day, but it currently presents a low risk to the American public,” Dr. Billioux emphasized. “The Louisiana Department of Health is taking appropriate measures to inform health care providers and establish a surveillance and response network ready to snap into action to diagnose, isolate and quarantine as appropriate should this illness come to Louisiana.”
Background on novel coronavirus (from Dept. of Health):
The CDC, as well as the Office of Public Health, has been proactively preparing for the introduction of this virus since it was first identified in China earlier this year. The CDC is closely monitoring an outbreak caused by a novel (new) coronavirus in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities first identified the new coronavirus, which has resulted in more than 6,000* confirmed human infections in China and 15 other countries including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
To date, there are 132 deaths attributed to the virus. Although there is a travel ban for all residents of Hubei Province, China, a number of countries, including the United States, are also actively screening incoming travelers who may still be traveling from China due to connecting flights or extended layovers.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people such as has been seen with recent outbreaks of MERS and SARS.
Many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan, China have reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread (possibly snakes). However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating that person-to-person spread is occurring.
Symptoms:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus.
- The best prevention is to avoid exposure to the virus. Everyday preventive actions include:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
For additional information and links to guidance shared with Louisiana providers click here.
The most up-to-date information about 2019 novel coronavirus can be found on the CDC’s website here.