BRIGETTE:
A MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS
HAS SPREAD TO THE U.S..
THE CDC SAYS A WASHINGTON MAN
RECENTLY TRAVELED TO CHINA WHERE
THE VIRUS ORIGINATED.
HE IS UNDER ISOLATION AND NOT
CONSIDERED A THREAT TO THE
PUBLIC.
SEVERAL AIRPORTS ARE SCREAMING
-- SCREENING PASSENGERS FOR SIGN
OF THE ILLNESS.
THEY DO TECH PASSENGERS
FOR
SIGNS OF ILLNESS AND ARE
MONITORING THE SITUATION
CLOSELY.
GET A DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE ON
THIS.
THANK YOU FOR TALKING TO US.
CORONAVIRUS IS NOT SOMETHING WE
HEAR OFTEN.
THIS IS A VIRUS THAT COMES IN
MANY DIFFERENT FORMS SOME OF
WHICH INFECT HUMANS AND SOME OF
WHICH INFECT ONLY ANIMALS.
THERE IS A TYPE OF VIRUS THAT
HAS GONE FROM INFECTING ANIMALS
TO HUMANS.
THIS HAS BECOME A POTENTIAL
PUBLIC THREAT.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS
ABOUT THIS VIRUS.
WE DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT
IT.
WHAT IT STARTS TO INFECT HUMANS,
WE DON'T KNOW THINGS LIKE HOW
QUICKLY IT TRANSMITS, THAT WE DO
KNOW THERE IS HUMAN TO HUMAN
TRANSMISSION.
WE ALSO
DON'T KNOW HOW QUICKLY
IT SPREADS OR HOW SEVERE THE
SYMPTOMS.
WE ARE HOPING TO GET THESE
ANSWERS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS.
WE WILL PROBABLY GET ANSWERS
ABOUT TREATMENT WERE VACCINES --
WERE VACCINES -- OR VACCINES.
BRIGETTE:
HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE
DEFINITELY SCRAMBLING.
LAST TIME OUR MEMBER SOMETHING
OF THIS CALIBER WAS SARS.
SARS IS IN THE SAME FAMILY OF
VIRUS AND THAT IS WHY IS BEING
TAKEN SO SERIOUSLY.
BRIGETTE: WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
THE TYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF AN
UPPER RESPIRATORY ILLNESS.
A COUGH AND FEELING UNWELL.
JUST LOOKING OUT FOR FEVERISH
SYMPTOMS.
WHEN THE POTENTIALLY GETS WORSE,
PEOPLE COULD DEVELOP PNEUMONIA
AND COMP OCCASIONS --
COMPLICATIONS.
BRIGETTE: WE KNOW AIRPORTS ARE
SCREENING PASSENGERS, BUT
SHOULD
WE BE DOING THE SAME HERE?
IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO BE
ALARMIST.
WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE
VIRUS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT WE ARE
AWARE OF IT.
WHO IE IS A TOURIST DESTINATION
WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD SO IT IS IMPORTANT WE
FOLLOW WHAT IS HAPPENING.
HOPEFULLY
, WE SHOULD GET
DIRECTION AS FAR AS WHAT EXACTLY
IS HAPPENING AND HOW BIG THE
THREAT ACTUALLY IS.
BRIGETTE: THIS IS MYSTERIOUS AND
WE KNOW IT HAS KILLED A FEW
PEOPLE.
DR., HOW CAN WE PROTECT
OURSELVES FROM THIS VIRUS?
I RECOMMEND TAKING THE
PRECAUTIONS YOU WOULD FOR ANY
RESPIRATORY ILLNESS.
HANDWASHING SOUNDS SIMPLE, BUT
MOST FOLKS DON'T DO IT PROPERLY.
20 SECONDS OF SOAP AND WATER.
20 SECONDS IS SINGING HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO YOURSELF TWICE IN
YOUR HEAD.
LAST TIME YOU SAW SOMEBODY
TAKING 20 SECONDS PROBABLY NOT
RECENTLY.
BRIGETTE: I SHOULD DEFINITELY
START DOING THAT.
WASHING HANDS IS THE FIRST
START.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO SOAP
AND WATER, USING HAND SANITIZER
IS GOOD.
AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE
,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IN PUBLIC.
IF YOU ARE
SICK, STAY HOME.
STAY HOME AND COVER THAT
COUGH.
COVERING THE COUGH IS NOT THIS.
THIS IS VERY LITTLE.
BRIGETTE: GO LIKE THIS?
YOU DON'T WANT TO USE YOUR
HANDS BECAUSE THEN YOU WILL
TOUCH THE DOORKNOB OR OTHER
THINGS.
YOU WANT TO COUGH INTO THE CROOK
OF YOUR ELBOW.
IF YOU DON'T, MAYBE USE A
TISSUE.
BRIGETTE: ALL GREAT INFORMATION.