Philadelphia health officials are investigating whether a student at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia may have contracted coronavirus, a respiratory illness that has sickened thousands and killed 80 people in China, where it originated.
The possible victim was among a group of students who had a connecting flight in Wuhan City, the epicenter of the outbreak, on their way to the U.S. earlier this month, 6ABC reported.
Philadelphia Department of Public Health was notified of the case on Friday. The student sought medical attention in Montgomery County, and health officials there sent samples to the state for testing, said James Garrow, a spokesperson for the city’s health department. Results are expected this week.
The symptoms of coronavirus are similar to respiratory viral infections or the influenza virus — cough, fever and shortness of breath. Coronavirus symptoms are mostly respiratory, without the muscle aches and fatigue common to the flu.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the current threat to the U.S. is low, but in an effort to control an outbreak, the guidelines for referring a case for further testing are broad: anyone who has traveled to China and is experiencing flu-like symptoms, Garrow said.
“This is a rapidly changing situation. The guidance will change from day to day. We wouldn’t be surprised if we did get a case or two here,” Garrow said.
The city health department has dispatched doctors to the East Falls school to talk to parents about coronavirus and how to take precaution against an infection.
“The recommendations are no different for the flu at this point,” Garrow said.
The CDC recommends that anyone suspected of having a coronavirus infection be isolated to avoid infecting others.
For everyone else, the CDC recommendations for protecting against an infection are similar to precautions against spreading typical winter illness: cover your mouth with the inside of an elbow when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands frequently and stay home if you feel sick.
Face masks, like those used by doctors during surgery, may be helpful if worn by someone who is sick in order to keep germs from spreading, but science hasn’t shown they’re effective in protecting healthy people from getting sick, Garrow said.
“Whenever you get in a situation where there’s a novel virus ... it’s scary,” Garrow said. But “the flu is worse, and it is here, and it is spreading throughout the city," he said.
Six people have died from the flu this season already, he said. He encouraged everyone to get a flu shot.
Still, the health department is keeping a close eye on coronavirus, he said.
Chinese officials have identified more than 2,744 infections and 80 deaths from the virus, which is believed to have originated in a large animal market in Wuhan.
The CDC has identified five U.S. residents who were infected with the new coronavirus, apparently while traveling in the area of Wuhan. The confirmed cases are in Arizona, California, Illinois, and Washington. Several U.S. airports are screening passengers from China to ensure they don’t have symptoms.
As college students return from winter break, administrators are also being vigilant.
Temple University emailed its students from China — even though not all returned home during break — as well as any faculty and staff known to have traveled to China. The email summarized the CDC advisories about coronavirus, symptoms and what to do in case of illness, said Mark Denys, Temple’s senior director of health services.
Temple has not been notified of any potential cases, but wants students, faculty and staff to know what to do if they suspect illness, Denys said. The school’s health services has added to its seasonal flu and cold public health campaign to also alert students about coronavirus, with additional information on its website.
“Right now there’s no reason to have great concern. It’s something to monitor and keep an eye on,” he said.
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January 27, 2020 at 10:23PM
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Possible coronavirus case investigated at Philadelphia’s William Penn Charter School - The Philadelphia Inquirer
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