By Muizat Hameed
The fifth US case of coronavirus has been confirmed, according to a statement released from the Arizona Department of Health Services described.
The victim of fifth case which was confirmed in Maricopa County of Arizona has been described as, “A member of the Arizona State University community who does not live in university housing.”
All five cases were said to be those who has previously traveled to Wuhan, China and returned to the country.
Nancy Messonnier, the Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, in a report said, “All five US patients had traveled previously to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the infectious disease outbreak and all five remain hospitalized now.”
She added that, “ The CDC has just over 100 people under investigation for the new strain of coronavirus in 26 states. So far, 25 of those have tested negative for the virus and five positive.”
She however tagged the numerous calls received at CDC about guidance on how to screen, manage and treat potential cases of the disease, as a “good sign” that the country’s public health is working.
In her words, “We are getting calls all day, all night from clinicians. That’s what we want.”
An infectious disease specialist, William Schaffner also agreed with the CDC’s assessment saying that the three recently confirmed cases are a “Sign that the surveillance measures put into place are effective.”
“Clinicians are aware of the issue when they see a patient whom they suspect of having this new coronavirus infection. They are putting such patients in isolation, caring for them appropriately and safely, using infection control precautions, getting specimens, sending them to the CDC for evaluation.”
Messonnier concluded saying this outbreak is not the first time the US has faced an infectious disease outbreak, so the CDC is prepared for the prospect of a larger epidemic spanning many continents and countries.
“We need to continue to prepare for this as if it is a pandemic, but hope that it is not,” she said.
