TUCSON, ARiz. -- The United States is now reporting 12 cases of the Wuhan Coronavirus, in six states.
One of those, in Maricopa County.
Currently there are no cases of the Wuhan Coronavirus in southern Arizona, but the Pima County Health Department says they are ready to act if that changes.
Louie Valenzuela, with the Pima County Health Department, says one can never be too cautious.
“It spreads really rapidly so thus our really high level of concern right now,” said Valenzuela.
The Wuhan Coronavirus has spread to multiple countries, including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and now the United States.
At least six states have been affected, including Arizona.
“Anybody who has traveled to mainland China is seen at moderate risk right now,” Valenzuela told KGUN9.
Here’s what the Pima County Health Department would do, if a case is suspected in southern Arizona.
“We really do work with that individual and that individual’s healthcare provider to put together testing and put control measures around preventing further spread of that individual,” added Valenzuela.
If the novel Coronavirus case is confirmed, here is what the department will do.
“Then we notify individuals we feel are potentially exposed and are at a higher risk and put those same controls around that population. And then we make a push outwardly to let everybody know we have a confirmed case in southern Arizona, but that everything around that confirmed case is very self-contained,” he said.
Coronaviruses can make people sick, usually with a mild to moderate upper respiratory tract illness, similar to a common cold.
Symptoms include a runny nose, cough, sore throat, possibly a headache, and maybe a fever.
There are a handful of Coronaviruses that are known to be deadly including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, better known as SARS.
“Any public health threat is very serious. There’s no joke about it,” Valenzuela told KGUN9.
The health department is now urging folks experiencing symptoms, who have traveled to mainland China, to seek medical attention.
“I think Pima county Health Department stands very prepared to do any sort of preventative measures for outbreak spread and we put those preventative measures in place so that we can minimize any sort of panic or any sort of risk,” said Valenzuela.
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