This is what you need to know about the new coronavirus and Whatcom’s response
As health experts work to stem the spread of the new coronavirus in the city of Wuhan in China’s Hubei Province, we asked how officials in Whatcom County were preparing to deal should the outbreak come here.
For answers, we also turned to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Washington State Department of Health and the Whatcom County Health Department.
Here’s what Whatcom residents need to know about an emerging disease and an evolving situation.
Has a Whatcom County resident been tested for the new coronavirus?
One Whatcom County resident has been tested, and the test for that “person under investigation” came back negative, according to Melissa Morin, spokeswoman for the Whatcom County Health Department.
Morin declined to provide additional information about the person who was tested, citing federal privacy laws on personal health information.
The Whatcom County Health Department is part of a national and statewide network of public health officials that are monitoring the illness, which had not been seen in human beings before the outbreak’s start in December.
The first U.S. case of what also has been called novel coronavirus was confirmed in a Snohomish County man earlier this month.
The new type of coronavirus causes respiratory illness. The effect has ranged from a mild illness, similar to a cold, to pneumonia requiring hospitalization.
In discussing possible coronavirus cases, public health officials refer to a “person under investigation.” What does that mean?
That’s someone who might be sick with novel coronavirus, according to Morin.
Specifically, the person meets one of three definitions, based on current CDC guidelines, Morin added.
▪ The person has symptoms associated with what’s also referred to as 2019 nCoV — fever, cough or difficulty breathing — and had traveled to Wuhan in the 14 days before symptoms started.
▪ The person has symptoms after coming into close contact with someone else who may have had the illness.
▪ The person has symptoms and close contact with a person who has tested positive for novel coronavirus.
“Health care providers are using CDC guidelines to determine whether or not a patient should be evaluated as (a) person under investigation,” Morin said.
What’s close contact?
That’s someone who was within 6 feet of a person who tested positive for novel coronavirus for more than 10 minutes, or who came into contact with secretions from a person who has the illness.
How many people have been tested for coronavirus in Washington state?
Sixteen, according to an ongoing tally by the state Department of Health.
One person has tested positive, seven negative, and eight people are waiting for results as of Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Another 67 people are being monitored because they were close contacts.
What is Whatcom County doing to prepare?
“We continuously prepare for and train to respond to public health threats just like this one,” Morin said.
The county health department is working closely with the CDC, state health department, local health care providers and other county health departments in order to “identify and respond to any infections as quickly as possible,” Morin explained.
Steps being taken include:
▪ Providing Whatcom County health care providers with clear guidance on how to identify and evaluate people who may be at risk.
▪ Increasing disease surveillance and planning for a rapid response should someone test positive for the new coronavirus.
▪ Communicating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection about screening procedures at land border crossings in Whatcom County.
What should the public know? How worried should people be?
“While this new virus is a serious public health threat, the immediate risk to people in Whatcom County — and the rest of the U.S. — is low,” Morin said.
She added: “Our public health system — at the federal, state and local level — is responding aggressively to the coronavirus situation by monitoring people who are close contacts of cases or (persons under investigation), evaluating any new patients who could have 2019 nCoV infection, and making sure that health care providers know how to evaluate patients for potential coronavirus infection.”
How many people worldwide have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus?
At least 6,165 as of the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 29, according to a Johns Hopkins map tracking the number of cases.
Most of those cases are in mainland China.
Five people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the illness.
A total of 133 people have died.
How does this new virus spread?
Health experts say they’re still learning that.
But, they say, other coronaviruses spread in ways that may be familiar to you if you’re trying to avoid getting the flu or cold this time of the year.
Those include:
▪ Through the air when the person who is sick coughs or sneezes.
▪ Through touching or shaking hands, which are examples of close personal contact.
▪ By touching an object or surface that has the virus on it, then touching your eyes, mouth or nose.
▪ Contact with feces, which occurs in rare cases.
Symptoms may appear within two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
What can you do to protect yourself?
“There are simple steps they can take to reduce their risk of getting any kind of viral respiratory infection, like a cold or the flu,” Morin said.
▪ Wash your hands with soap and warm water and do so frequently.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes and mouth, because the virus can enter your body that way.
▪ If you’re sick, stay home to prevent infecting other people. If you’re not ill, stay away from people who are.
Will wearing a mask help protect against the coronavirus? Should I wear one when I’m out and about?
“We are not recommending that people wear masks when they are in public. Currently, the immediate health risk to the general public in Whatcom County and the rest of the U.S. is low and there are questions about the effectiveness of using masks in public to prevent illness,” Morin said.
She added: “It’s a common practice to ask people with any respiratory symptoms (like cough or sneezing) to wear masks in health care settings, such as the waiting room of a clinic or emergency department. This prevents the spread of a wide range of illnesses, including flu and the common cold.”
Is there a vaccine for the novel coronavirus? How is the illness treated?
There’s no vaccine.
Most people who are mildly ill with it can recover on their own by drinking fluids, resting and taking medication for pain and fever.
Some people have developed pneumonia, requiring medical care or hospitalization.
Those who have died have been mainly older adults with other health conditions.
What is the situation at Western Washington University?
Western sent an email to students and employees about the virus earlier this week, saying there were no cases at Western and adding that its Student Health Center was in communication with the Whatcom County Health Department.
Amid reports that airlines were stopping travel to China and Americans were being evacuated from Wuhan, the outbreak’s epicenter, WWU spokesman Paul Cocke told The Bellingham Herald that a Western student was leaving China because her program has been suspended.
“Western only has one student that we are aware of now studying in China,” Cocke stated in an email interview with The Herald. ”She is in the Sichuan Province, not in the province where Wuhan is. She is leaving China presently because her sponsoring study abroad organization suspended the program out of an abundance of caution, even though she is not in the Hubei Province.”
The university’s Institute for Global Engagement has been communicating with her, Cocke said.
In its email to employees and students, the university stated, “We have communicated with members of the WWU community who may have recently traveled from the Wuhan area or who were studying in China about health resources available if they start exhibiting any symptoms.”
Students with questions can go to the Student Health Center website. Or call the health center at 360-650-3400 if you have symptoms or are concerned.
What’s the situation at PeaceHealth, which operates medical clinics and a hospital in Bellingham that serves Whatcom County?
“The safety and well-being of our patients and caregivers is our highest priority,” Hilary Andrade, PeaceHealth spokeswoman, said in a statement to The Bellingham Herald.
There have been no confirmed cases at PeaceHealth facilities.
She said PeaceHealth was closely monitoring the situation in partnership with the CDC and local public health agencies, “including extra vigilance in Whatcom County.”
“PeaceHealth is fully prepared to meet the needs of our communities should the spread of the virus escalate,” Andrade said.
PeaceHealth’s hospital and its clinics were working with the county health department to “establish clinical and operational protocols, implement CDC-recommended isolation processes and procedures, safeguard proper screening tools and lab testing, and ensure adequate supplies and protective equipment,” Andrade said.
What’s the situation at Whatcom Community College?
“At this time, we’re monitoring the situation closely, and working directly with local organizations like the Whatcom County Health Department to have the latest and most accurate information,” said Marissa Ellis, spokeswoman for the college.
What if I have questions?
Call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.
The Washington State Department of Health opened a call center for people who have questions about what is happening in the state, how the coronavirus is spreading, and what to do if you have symptoms, which include runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever and feeling unwell.
What if I suspect I have the new coronavirus?
“Anyone who has symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and has recently traveled to the Wuhan region should see their healthcare provider,” Morin said.
“They should call ahead and tell their provider about their symptoms and travel history,” she added. “The provider will take precautions and give them instructions so that they don’t expose other patients or workers in the facility.”
Where can I get more information?
▪ who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
▪ cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
▪ doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus
▪ whatcomcounty.us/3329/Novel-Coronavirus
▪ Johns Hopkins University global map of coronavirus cases at https://bit.ly/37CgQfT
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
