investigating to learn more about this virus, the way it spreads and its severity of illness,” added Chew, a professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Should Americans be concerned?
“While any new virus is a serious public health concern, the immediate health risk to the American public is deemed low at this point,” said Chew. “The virus is thought to have some limited person-to-person spread, and the CDC and WHO are conducting ongoing investigations to learn more about the degree of this spread.”
What is known about how the virus spreads?
“While a lot about this new coronavirus is still unknown, it may have been transmitted to humans from an animal source, as many of the confirmed early cases were linked to a seafood/live animal market in Wuhan, which has since been closed,” said Chew. “Some person-to-person spread has occurred by some who were in close contact with an infected patient and are being investigated.”
What are the symptoms and health risks?
“Common signs, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties are like those found with other respiratory illnesses,” Chew explained. “In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe