February 5, 2020

We’re all aware of the latest threat to public health.  It seems like there is no end to viral agents that move among us on a mission to search and destroy.  The human population has been subjected to plagues and pestilences since the time of the pharaohs.  The Middle Ages saw the Black Death, and AIDS and Ebola were among the more recent purveyors of human tragedy.  Now, it’s the so-called “novel coronavirus” (nCoV) that is causing concern among health officials the world over.  As of this writing, February 3, there are 17,489 confirmed coronavirus cases across the globe, reflecting a sharp increase of over 7,500 individuals affected over the weekend.  Along with this number are a reported 362 related deaths.

Latest Updates

Researchers at Becker’s Hospital Review provided the following updates concerning nCoV:

1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quarantined 195 Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan on Jan. 31. American citizens who have been to China’s Hubei province—which includes Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak—within the past two weeks will now be subject to quarantine for up to 14 days.
2. China opened a 1,000-bed emergency hospital built in 10 days.  The hospital built specifically for coronavirus patients opened Feb. 3 in Wuhan.  A 7,000-person crew worked 24/7 to construct the hospital, which covers 645,000 square feet.
3. Philippine officials reported the first coronavirus death outside of China Feb. 2. The 44-year-old man died Feb. 1 after developing severe pneumonia due to viral and bacterial infections.
4. The Trump administration declared the coronavirus a national public health emergency Jan. 31. Entry into the U.S. for foreign nationals who have traveled to China in the past two weeks is temporarily suspended as of Feb. 2.

American efforts to contain the virus to Asia and prevent its spreading to our shores have fallen short, as 11 cases have already been confirmed within the United States.  Specifically, cases have now been confirmed in California, Illinois, Arizona, Washington and Massachusetts. There have been two human transmission cases in the U.S. so far—each involving a patient and their spouse.

Scope and Effect

According to many experts in disease and immunology, this particular strain of the coronavirus is well on its way to affecting population groups on multiple continents.  The New York Times is reporting that the “Wuhan coronavirus spreading from China is now likely to become a pandemic that circles the globe.”  Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease in North Bethesda, Maryland, has stated that nCoV is “very, very transmissible, and it almost certainly is going to be a pandemic.”  While an epidemic describes a localized outbreak of a disease of unexpected magnitude, a pandemic is an epidemic that crosses international or continental borders.

Experts in this country are not fully certain as to the extent of danger this virus presents.  It’s clear that it kills, as hundreds have perished from its effects.  However, these numbers of reported deaths are primarily from non-U.S. sources, which may or may not reflect an accurate count.  If the current numbers are correct, then we’re looking at a two percent mortality rate associated with the virus thus far.  That could go up.  By comparison, the famed Spanish flu of 1918 killed 2.5 percent of its victims.

Prevention and Treatment

Over the weekend, there were reports that medical researchers in Thailand have discovered a means by which to mitigate the effects of nCoV.  This is hopeful to be sure, but it is uncertain at this point the extent to which such claims can be corroborated.  The good news is that the virus has a better chance of being limited in nations with a strong healthcare infrastructure.  Dr. William Schaffner, a preventive medicine specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, had this to say:

At the moment, it seems unlikely that the virus will spread widely in countries with vigorous, alert public health systems.  Every doctor in the U.S. has this top of mind.  Any patient with fever or respiratory problems will get two questions. ‘Have you been to China? Have you had contact with anyone who has?’ If the answer is yes, they’ll be put in isolation right away.

The CDC has issued specific recommendations for hospitals and other healthcare points of service as it concerns the coronavirus.  It has published the following guidelines and resources on its website:

• Interim guidance for evaluation patients, testing and reporting
• Interim guidance for infection control
• Preparedness checklists
• Clinical care for infected patients
• Home care recommendations
• Recent journal articles on the 2019 coronavirus

We recommend hospital executives and clinical leadership begin reviewing these CDC materials, which can be found here.  This will be a good first step in better understanding, recognizing and treating this latest threat to global health.

We at MiraMed Global Services stand with you in your efforts to combat disease and confront the challenges facing the healthcare industry.  Please feel free to reach out to us for an assessment of ways we can help to make your job easier.  We can be reached at info@miramedgs.com.  Thank you!