Daily Mail: 'This might be bad': Top CDC official warns it's 'not a question of if but when' coronavirus spreads in the US and tells parents to prepare kids for school closures and 'significant disruption in our lives'
* Senior CDC official Nancy Messonier said coronavirus is moving closer to meeting the criteria of a pandemic
* She says she that it's not a question of if, but when, spread will occur in the US
* Dr Messonier said she called her children's school and asked if there are plans for tele-schooling if necessary and recommended parents do the same
* More than 80,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 2,700 people have died
It's no longer 'a question of if...but when' the coronavirus will spread in the US, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said on Tuesday as they told parents to prepare their children for the possibility of school closures.
The CDC said Americans may need to prepare for 'tele-schooling' should the virus continue to spread throughout the US.
So far, 57 cases have been confirmed - 14 in the nation, 40 from citizens repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and three evacuated from China.
And although the threat is currently low, Dr Nancy Messonier, CDC's director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, says the public needs to be ready if the virus becomes a pandemic.
'It's not so much of a question of if this will happen in this country any more but a question of when this will happen,' she told reporters in a media call on Tuesday.
'We are asking the American public to prepare for the expectation that this might be bad.'
Read more ....
Covid-19 Outbreak In The U.S. -- News Updates February 25, 2020
Coronavirus live updates: US confirms 57 cases, CDC outlines pandemic planning -- CNBC
US health officials say coronavirus will likely cause a global pandemic -- CNBC
U.S. health officials raise alarm about likely local spread of coronavirus -- Reuters
Top health official warns coronavirus spread appears inevitable in US -- The Hill
Coronavirus could cause 'severe disruption' in America, CDC says -- The Guardian
We don't have any Americans dying of coronavirus says Donald Trump as he claims the markets will bounce back from massive day-long sell-off over fears about infection becoming a pandemic -- Daily Mail
Trump administration seeks $2.5 billion in funds to fight coronavirus -- Reuters
Pompeo accuses China and Iran of hiding coronavirus outbreak -- The Hill
Washington pledges $1 billion for coronavirus vaccine as pandemic risks grow -- France 24
If they reported the daily infection and death rates of the flu, then Covid-19 would pale in comparison.
ReplyDeleteIt would. I'm not convinced yet but much of this is starting to look like a giant government power grab. At the very least, governments seldom miss the opportunity to do this. Overstating threats is a common way of doing this.
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