US Officials Will Screen Travelers from China for New Virus – Livescience.com, Livescience.com

(a statement) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These airports receive the “vast majority” of travelers from Wuhan, Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said in a news conference today. SFO and JFK are the only airports in the U.S. with direct flights from Wuhan; LAX receives indirect flights from Wuhan, he said.Right now, “we believe the current risk from this virus to the general public [in the U.S.] is low,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. But “we know it’s crucial to be proactive and prepared,” said Messonnier, who noted that the U.S. has previously experienced outbreaks of similar

viruses***********, including the outbreaks of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2020 and********************** MERS(Middle East respiratory syndrome) in ************** (): ****************************************** **************************** (Devastating Infectious Diseases) ****************************

(So ***, the virus – a new type of coronavirus – has sickened at least 0117 People in Wuhan and has been linked to two deaths there, Messonnier said. Outside of China, the virus has been detected in two people traveling to Thailand and one person traveling to Japan.

As more countries are on alert for people with the virus, “I expect that we’re going to see more cases,” said Messonnier, who added that it’s “highly possible” there will be a case in the United States. “That’s why we’re moving so quickly” with screening, she said.

For the screening, officials will check people body temperatures and ask questions about certain symptoms, Cetron said. Those who have a fever and other symptoms consistent with this viral infection will be further evaluated, and affected tested for the new virus, known for now as – nCoV.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses,to the CDC. This family includes the viruses that cause SARS and MERS, as well as those that cause milder illnesses, like the common cold.