Coronavirus shuts down Central China’s most populous city
Travelers wearing face masks line up to check in for an American Airlines flight to Los Angeles at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. China counted 170 deaths from a new virus on Thursday and more countries reported infections, including some spread locally, as foreign evacuees from China's worst-hit region returned home to medical observation and even isolation. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Chinese officials have confirmed over 12,000 infections and over 250 deaths related to the new Wuhan coronavirus as of Saturday morning. The city of Wuhan is quarantined, with all major travel arteries shut down. The virus has also spread to at least 19 other countries, including the United States.
On Friday, Delta, American and United announced plans to suspend all flights from the U.S. and Chinese mainland due to the ongoing outbreak. Airports around the world have screening stations looking for symptoms associated with the Wuhan coronavirus.
Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco, told AP News, “These are not easy decisions to make, but if customer demand isn’t there, and there is pressure from employees, they didn’t have any choice but to suspend their flying.”
Locally, Tennessee has yet to see a confirmed case of the 2019 Wuhan coronavirus. Even so, Dr. Jimmy Durham, a doctor at Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga, said hospitals in the region are taking preliminary precautions.
“The hospital and all health professionals have to follow the guidelines of the Tennessee Department of Public Health to the letter,” Durham said. “Then Tennessee reports to the CDC.”
Dr. Benjamin Christmann, a Lee University professor and former CDC researcher, does not see reason for alarm with the information so far.
“One of the things that would be a very concerning turn is if we had a sudden spike in fatalities. Right now [the mortality rate] is running around 1-2%. That is influenza A levels. It is not good, but it isn’t something we shut down cities over.”
Dr. Christmann offered some danger signs to look for.
“If we start seeing double digits in percentages in fatalities of infected individuals, that would be highly concerning,” Christmann warns. “If there are reports two weeks from now where we have 10,000 people that are infected in Beijing, that would be concerning.”
For travel warnings and updated information about the 2019 Wuhan coronavirus click here.
