Twenty Shelby County residents who traveled from China are being monitored by the SCHD (Shelby County Health Department) in the fight against the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), according to Joan Carr, public information officer for SCHD.
“There are no cases or suspect cases in Tennessee or Shelby County. No one here in Tennessee has tested positive for the virus. The novel coronavirus is not circulating in Shelby County or Tennessee,” said Ms. Carr.
She said by the end of this week, it will be only 12, as 8 will finish their 2 weeks of monitoring by then.
“The 20 people are on restricted movement, self-monitoring their health with public health supervision for 14 days. That just means that they have been asked to practice social distancing by staying home and avoiding contact with other people as much as possible, while monitoring their temperature and reporting any symptoms they experience,” said Ms. Carr.
She added, “It’s important to note that these people don’t have symptoms, did not have close contact with infected persons and they are not considered suspect cases. They don’t meet the CDC’s (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) criteria for testing for the virus. It just means they were in China and recently returned to the U.S., so they’re being monitored for 14 days. If they do not develop symptoms within the 14-day period, they don’t need to be monitored anymore and will be free to return to normal activities. If they develop any respiratory symptoms, the 14-day monitoring period will be extended.”
As of yesterday (2.11.20), the World Health Organization reported 43,103 cases of the virus worldwide—that is people who are ill who have tested positive for the virus. Worldwide, there have been 1,017 deaths, most of those in China, said Ms. Carr.
Here in the U.S., 13 people have tested positive for the virus. All had recently returned from the Hubei Province in China. No one in the United States has died of the virus. Those 13 who have tested positive are being carefully isolated while they undergo treatment.
Ms. Carr said SCHD is working closely with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) and the (CDC) to prepare for potential cases of the virus which emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019.
The virus is thought to be an animal virus that never previously infected humans. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that can infect people and animals and cause a range of illness from mild to severe. Some coronaviruses cause the common cold, but novel strains pose a risk because the human immune system has not developed defenses to combat them.
Currently, the risk to the general public in the United States is thought to be low. That is because flights returning to the United States from China are being screened carefully. Some passengers deemed to be at-risk have been quarantined for two weeks to rule out infection.
“The Health Department is working closely with the regional hospital systems and healthcare providers to be alert for any potential cases. “Our epidemiologists are communicating with local infection control practitioners to make sure they have the information they need to assess the threat and protect hospital staff, patients, and the public in the event of a novel coronavirus case.”
She said the local risk assessment includes communications with FedEx, Memphis International Airport and first responders to address their concerns as well as identify our local risk of coronavirus.
The SCHD receives weekly reports from emergency rooms and health care providers throughout Shelby County to be alerted to any unusual cluster of symptoms that could indicate an outbreak. That information is then used to develop local interventions to protect the public, said Ms. Carr.
SCHD has plans in place to address an outbreak of any communicable disease or public health threat and get needed vaccinations or medications to the entire population of Shelby County, if needed.
“The Shelby County Health Department stands ready to protect the people of Shelby County from novel coronavirus, should the need arise,” added Mrs. Carr.
For more information, visit the website: shelbytnhealth.com.
