A “boom” in confirmed cases of coronavirus that has killed nearly 3,000 people worldwide could already cross the United States despite increased efforts to contain the deadly epidemic, experts said.
So far, less than 100 cases in the United States have been confirmed, including a handful in Washington State, where the only death on American soil has occurred. But one researcher estimates that “a few hundred” people in the state may already be infected.
“There are huge implications here,” Trevor Bedford, a researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, posted on Twitter. “I believe we are facing an already large epidemic in Washington State that has gone undetected so far.”
Bedford studied two confirmed cases weeks apart and determined that they were linked by community transmission – from a source not directly related to another known case. Bedford tweeted his belief that the virus has been going undetected, at least in Washington State, for six weeks.
Ogbonnaya Omenka, assistant professor and public health specialist at the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Butler University, says this does not bode well for efforts to contain the virus nationwide. One of the main challenges in the fight against community transmission is contact tracing, which can be very difficult due to constant human movement and interaction, Omenka told USA TODAY.
The impending increase in student and family travel and travel due to the spring break could also spread the contagion, he said.
“Under the current circumstances, a boom in cases is to be expected,” said Omenka. “Especially considering the possibility of asymptomatic and mild spread of the disease.”
The way to stop it: human behavior. It is crucial that people follow the steps recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as frequent hand washing and self-quarantine when sick, said Omenka.
The first death was in a man in his 50s who had significant underlying health conditions, health officials in Seattle said. Omenka said that death confirms the current tendency of the disease to be the most serious among the most vulnerable members of the population.
The disease started to spread across China weeks before reaching the United States, giving federal health officials time to prepare, said Omenka.
“Nevertheless, the possibility of wider dissemination of COVID-19 in the United States is very likely now, based on recent developments,” he said.
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Rhode Island confirms first case
The Rhode Island Department of Health has announced the first “presumptive positive” case of coronavirus. The person is in his forties and went to Italy in mid-February, the ministry said in a statement.
The person was treated in a hospital and “all infection control protocols” were followed, the statement said.
“We do not see widespread community transmission in Rhode Island, and the general level of risk for Rhode Islanders is still low,” he added.
Energy conference in Houston abandoned
The organizers of the CERAweek conference, which was to attract thousands of executives and energy managers from 80 countries to Houston, were canceled due to coronavirus problems.
The conference was scheduled for March 9-13. Organizer IHS Markit said he was canceling “with deep disappointment”.
“A growing number of companies are putting in place travel bans and restrictions, border health checks are becoming more restrictive,” IHS said in a statement. “There is a growing concern about large conferences with people from different parts of the world.”