COVID-19 Disease Has Become a Pandemic

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on March 14, 2020, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease is infecting people and spreading easily from person-to-person in the USA.

Pandemics happen when a new virus emerges to infect people, spreading between people because there is little to no pre-existing immunity against the new virus.

As of 19:50 GMT on March 15, 2020, data sources reported about 3,400 SARS-CoV-2 cases and 63 fatalities related to COVID-19 disease have been confirmed in the USA during 2020.

The United States is currently in the initial phase, but a few states, where community spread is occurring, are in the acceleration phase, says the CDC.

The duration and severity of each phase can vary depending on the characteristics of the virus and the public health response.

The overall health risk depends on the characteristics of the virus, including how well it spreads between people; the severity of resulting illness; and the medical measures available to control the impact of the virus, such as preventive vaccines or medications that can treat the illness.

In the absence of these therapies, community interventions can reduce the impact of the COVID-19 disease, says the CDC.

The risk from COVID-19 to Americans can be broken down into the risk of exposure versus the risk of serious illness and death.

Risk of exposure:

• The immediate risk of being exposed to this virus is still low for most Americans, but as the outbreak expands, that risk will increase. Cases of COVID-19 and instances of community spread are being reported in a growing number of states
• People in places where ongoing community spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated risk of exposure, with the level of risk depends on the location
• Healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 are at elevated risk of exposure
• Close contacts of persons with COVID-19 also are at elevated risk of exposure
• Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring also are at elevated risk of exposure, with a level of risk depends on where they traveled

Risk of Severe Illness:

• Early information out of China, where COVID-19 disease first started, shows that some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness
• This includes older adults, with risk increasing by age
• People who have serious chronic medical conditions, such as Heart disease, Diabetes, and Lung disease

To alert everyone, the CDC said on March 14th, that more cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the USA in the coming days, including more instances of community spread. 

Furthermore, the CDC expects that widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur. In the coming months, most of the U.S. population will be exposed to this virus.

The CDC has developed guidance to help in the risk assessment and management of people with potential exposures to COVID-19.

As of March 15th, the CDC has not endorsed any preventive vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2  coronavirus.

COVID-19 outbreak news is published by Coronavirus Today.

Vaccine development news is published by Precision Vaccinations.