SHORT ANSWER: NO, at least not yet.
There have been no cases reported in the Upper Peninsula or in Michigan. And in the United States, the only cases reported so far have shown a direct connection to China. However, a new case was reported just yesterday (Thursday) in which the source of the virus has not been determined yet. It is now being investigated.
“We don’t have any naturally circulating cases of the coronavirus in the United States,” says Dr. Kevin Piggott, the medical director for the Marquette County Health Department. By that, he means that, as far as officials can tell, there have been no cases of the virus originating in this country, and then spreading to other people.
Still, we see and read the news every day. The virus is spreading. And it can be frightening.
“We’re always planning for this kind of outbreak,” Dr. Piggott says. “We’ve been in communication with hospitals, with universities, with medical groups and professionals, and other health departments. We’re preparing as well as we can. But with new things, there’s always going to be uncertainty.”
The last two major viruses that alarmed health professionals at a national level were the H1N1 virus in 2009, and the Ebola virus in 2014. They were problematic but they never got out of control.
Other questions:
Should we pull back on our travel plans? If you’re planning for a trip to China or South Korea, absolutely. Only essential travel allowed there. Travel to Iran, Italy, and Japan is less restricted at this point, but there does appear to be risk there because of cases that have been reported.
And travel within the U.S? Dr. Piggott says, no problem. No need to change plans
What are the symptoms of coronavirus? Like most flu cases–coughing, fever, shortness of breath. But if you experience those symptoms but have no recent travel to China, then there’s no need to worry about coronavirus at this time.
Treatment? Vaccine? Nope, there is none at this point. Most people with the virus will get sick but survive. About 2%, according to the latest statistics, will die.
Incubation period? Looks like between 2 and 14 days, most likely between 3 and 7 days. That’s how long it will take between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms.
Will the flu shots we’ve been taking help with the coronavirus? No.
Are surgical masks helpful? “They can be, but they’re more helpful protecting others from you than they are in protecting you,” says Dr. Piggott.
So what should we be doing to protect ourselves, even if the threat is not imminent or local? “Just lead your life as you normally would for any flu season,” says Dr. Piggott. “Take the normal precautions. Stay home if you’re sick, use tissues when you cough or sneeze and dispose of them, followed by washing your hands. If you do not have a tissue when you sneeze, cough into your elbow, not your hand.”
Did not know that. (Apparently health professionals and responsible parents have known that for years. Decades.)
The idea, of course, is that if you cough into your hand and then touch a door knob, others will become exposed when they touch the door knob. Not many of us turn door knobs with our elbows.
Bottom line to all of this: We’re fine and we’ll likely be fine, but we need to take care of ourselves and those around us. And yes, without becoming paranoid, we should all continue to watch the news and listen to health professionals as the coronavirus story unfolds.