MEREDITH EXPLAINS WHAT HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE DOING NOW AND WHY.
MICHELLE: WHEN IT COMES TO THE CORONAVIRUS, FLORIDA HAS TWO THINGS THAT HAVE HEALTH OFFICIALS CONCERNED -- THE MILLIONS OF TOURISTS WHO COME HERE AND THE MILLIONS OF ELDERLY
PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
AND EVEN THOUGH FLORIDA HAS NO CONFIRMED CASES, PEOPLE ARE WORRIED.
THERE ARE NO VACCINES FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.
>> IT’S NEW.
NONE OF US HAVE IMMUNITY TO IT.
>> THIS VIRUS, WE DON’T THINK WE HAVE A HANDLE ON IT YET, ALTHOUGH SOME PEOPLE ARE EXPERIMENTING, USING HIV DRUGS AND FLU DRUGS COMBINED, AND IT SEEMS TO MAYBE BE GETTING THERE.
MICHELLE: HEALTH OFFICIALS IN FLORIDA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, DOCTORS ARE PREPARING FOR THE CORONAVIRUS LIKE THEY WOULD PREPARE FOR A HURRICANE -- STOCKING UP ON SUPPLIES LIKE
MASKS AND VENTILATORS, PUTTING TEAMS TOGETHER FOR A QUICK RESPONSE, AND COMING UP WITH PLANS SHOULD FLORIDA GET A CONFIRMED CASE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE PATIENT HAS A MILD CASE, WHICH DOCTORS SAY 80% ARE, WILL THEY ALLOW THE PATIENT TO BE QUARANTINED AT HOME?
>> SO IF YOU HAVE A MIND CASE, NOT GOING TO WORK, NOT GOING TO PUBLIC PLACES, A TERM WE USED CALLED SOCIAL DISTANCING.
MICHELLE: RIGHT NOW ALL HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE BIG INTO SURVEILLANCE.
WHEN YOU GO TO DOCTOR’S OFFICE WITH COLD OR FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS, YOU’RE REQUIRED TO FILL OUT A FORM THAT WILL ASK IF YOU HAVE TRAVELED TO CHINA OR IF SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU HAS.
911 OPERATORS ARE ALSO SCREENING CALLERS SO THAT FIRST REPSONDERS CAN BE BETTER PREP