This post contains updated information that was not available or released to the media when the January 31 edition went to press.

The local Health District may be half a world away from the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, but Director Donna Culbert is following developments in its progress as closely as any other issues she and her staff oversee on a daily basis right here in Newtown.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak that has been exported to more than a dozen countries as a global emergency Thursday, January 30, after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week.

The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response.

In recent days as the pneumonia-like virus has sickened nearly 8,000 people in China and killed at least 170, a fractional but increasing number of infected individuals have been reported in 18 other countries, including several in the US.

For the first time, the new virus has spread from one person to another, health officials announced Thursday, shortly before the WHO declaration.

The latest case — the sixth in the country — is the husband of a Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from the epicenter of an outbreak in China. There have been previous cases in China and elsewhere of the virus spreading between people in a household or workplace.

The other five US cases are travelers who developed the respiratory illness after returning to the US from China. The latest patient had not been in China.

Besides ongoing information from the local health district, the outbreak threat prompted statements from Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, as well as Connecticut’s US Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal earlier this week.

“The 2019 novel coronavirus — or 2019-nCoV — is a type of coronavirus not previously identified in humans, which is always very concerning,” Ms Culbert said in correspondence with The Newtown Bee that she has been maintaining regularly since news of the first cases surfaced a week earlier.

Ms Culbert explained, “Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from a common cold to more dangerous afflictions, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), which we experienced in 2003 and 2012.”

She said common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, Ms Culbert added, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.

“No vaccine or specific treatment for 2019-nCoV infection is available, and care is supportive,” she said. “But public health authorities and scientists are tirelessly working to learn about the potential impacts of this new virus and how to prevent it from spreading.”

Medical Care Collaborators

Ms Culbert said the Newtown Health District is collaborating with community partner Nuvance (Danbury Hospital) along with health and other medical officials in neighboring towns and cities with a “continued commitment to work together to protect our residents.”

“We aim to provide the most current information and direction as it becomes available regarding the 2019 novel coronavirus,” she said. “We are ready to adapt to updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CT Department of Public Health protocols as they become available.”

While 2019-nCoV is new, Ms Culbert and other local health officials have previously experienced other novel and emerging infections.

“That means we know the process and are taking every measure to maintain preparedness for 2019-nCoV,” she said.

Similar words were echoed by the governor on January 27, when he said the state of Connecticut is continuing to closely monitor the outbreak as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue monitoring any confirmed cases in the United States, none of which were in Connecticut at the time.

The governor said the state DPH had two persons under investigation for the new coronavirus, one in Middlesex county, who is a student at Wesleyan University, and the other in New Haven county.

He said the Wesleyan student tested negative for coronavirus, but both persons have tested positive for influenza type A and the cause of their illness is most likely the flu. As a precaution, both persons were placed in isolation.

DPH was awaiting final testing results for coronavirus at the CDC for the New Haven County patient. At the present time, testing for this new coronavirus strain is only available at the CDC.

“The state is closely monitoring reported cases and remaining cautious on behalf of the public,” Governor Lamont said. “We want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to provide updated information on these developments to the people of our state. We ask that the public not panic but take possible symptoms seriously and consult a healthcare professional.”

Planning Coordinated Response

DPH Commissioner Renée D. Coleman-Mitchell assured all residents of Connecticut that state officials were taking this new virus very seriously and were closely coordinating any response with local health departments and medical providers throughout the state.

Commissioner Coleman-Mitchell said, “So far, we have no confirmed cases of this coronavirus in Connecticut. It is also the height of the flu season, and hundreds of Connecticut residents have already been hospitalized for influenza. I want to make sure everyone takes precautions to keep themselves healthy during this season, and if you experience any symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, fever or others, please contact your doctor and get treated sooner rather than later.”

Sen Blumenthal urged the US Department of Health and Human Services to declare a public health emergency, “so we can ensure that the Center for Disease Control is able to access the additional funding it may need to expedite the development of a vaccine and to prepare to contain any outbreak in our country.

“The recent coronavirus strain exploding in China has resulted in many deaths, and therefore proactive steps must be taken at the federal and state levels. My office is in constant contact with Connecticut state public health officials and I stand ready to assist state officials to protect the health of Connecticut residents.”

Sen Murphy, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Sen Blumenthal joined 28 Democrats in a letter led by ranking member of the Committee, Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) to Secretary Alex Azar at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requesting updates on the administration’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and information on the steps being taken to keep families safe.

In the letter, the senators asked the department to keep them updated with the latest information regarding the severity of the disease, the country’s capacity to diagnose cases, what steps were being taken to prepare US health care workers, what screening systems were in place at US airports, the status of a novel coronavirus vaccine, and more.

The senators also urged the department to continue its robust, scientifically driven response to the outbreak and asked what steps Congress should take to support their efforts to keep families safe.

The CDC believes at this time that symptoms of the coronavirus may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Complicating matters because of similar symptoms, as of January 27, Connecticut was experiencing “the height of respiratory virus season,” the governor said.

Influenza activity in Connecticut is widespread with a total of 784 influenza-associated hospitalizations reported since the beginning of the 2019-20 season. Seven new influenza-associated deaths were reported last week, resulting in a total of 20 influenza-associated deaths reported since the beginning of the 2019-20 season.

Ms Culbert at the Newtown Health District reminds residents that “we will be providing regular updates about 2019-nCoV, virus transmission, containment efforts, and any other evolving information as it becomes available.”

What You Can Do

The World Health Organization (WHO) had not classed the virus as an “international emergency” as of noontime on January 29, partly because of the low number of overseas cases, but has said it “may yet become one.”

“Make no mistake, this is, though, an emergency in China,” said WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Locally, Ms Culbert advises any individuals who are experiencing symptoms and may have traveled to areas of concern (Wuhan, Hubei province, China) or have been in contact with somebody who has traveled to this area should call ahead to their healthcare provider before presenting for treatment.

While she reiterated there is currently no vaccine for this coronavirus, everyday preventative actions can help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses, including:

*Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

*Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

*Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

*Stay home when you are sick.

*Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

*Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

“Most importantly,” Ms Culbert said, “stay informed by reviewing helpful reference information.”

She directed residents to the World Health Organization website at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html. Locally, questions can be directed via e-mail to health.district@newtown-ct.gov — or residents can call 203-270-4291.

Associated Press content was used in this latest update.