NYSNA COVID Update: February 5
2/5/2020 Update:
After holding steady for several days, the number of confirmed 2019-nCoV patients in the U.S. has increased from 11 to 12 today. A patient in Wisconsin was diagnosed today. According to the CDC, all patients are doing well.
Potential Cases in New York State
Of the 3 persons under investigation (PUIs) for 2019-nCov in NYC, 1 (Bellevue) has tested negative. We are awaiting the test results for the other 2.
Testing and Response in the U.S.
As of 2/5/2020, the total number of people nationwide who have tested positive for nCov is 12, 206 have tested negative, and test results are pending for 76. These numbers are updated by the CDC several times per week.
2019-nCov testing will now be allowed in all qualified public health labs, significantly speeding up the time between specimen collection and confirmation of nCoV status.
Travel and Quarantine
2 evacuation flights from Wuhan have landed in the U.S. today, and 2 more will be landing tomorrow. Planes will be landing in San Francisco, San Diego, San Antonio and Nebraska. All passengers will be held under government quarantine for 14 days.
Passengers returning to the U.S. from China (other than Wuhan) are assessed by the CDC at airports upon entry and are in home quarantine for 14 days. The CDC works with local and state departments of health to conduct daily monitoring and assess monitoring plans for each individual on home quarantine.
Morbidity and Mortality
China, where all but 2 of the nCoV related deaths have occurred, reports that the mortality rate appears to be holding steady at 2%. Of those who have died, 80% were over the age of 60 and 75% had underlying health conditions. Two-thirds of those who have died are men. At this time it seems that children who are infected are unlikely to have serious symptoms. The incubation period continues to be considered 2-14 days.
Public Health Response
The CDC and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) have been working on building the national stockpile of PPE, particularly for healthcare workers. Their focus is not just on the current outbreak of coronavirus, but also any future pandemic situations.
Although nCoV cases in the U.S. have been limited, the CDC is preparing for a much larger outbreak. This is a far better response than we saw with SARS and Ebola. And there is a faster, better response to healthcare worker safety than in other outbreaks.
NYSNA continues to work to make sure all of our members are properly protected. If you have concerns regarding your facility's preparedness to handle 2019-nCoV cases, please contact your NYSNA rep, LBU leadership, or the NYSNA Health & Safety representatives.