CDC Expects Community Spread of Coronavirus In U.S.

The CDC urged Americans to prepare for the spread of the COVID-19 virus in a February 25th telebriefing. Read on to learn more about the telebriefing and anticipated U.S. impact. Nurses COVID News

CDC Expects Community Spread of Coronavirus In U.S.

On Tuesday, February 25th, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) held a telebriefing to update the media on the agency’s response to COVID-19.  Federal health officials are implementing preparedness and response plans, as more cases are expected in the U.S. Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases emphasized U.S. community spread is expected.

Quote

It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but more of a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness. -Dr. Nancy Messonnier

Locations of Virus Detection

The coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.  Now named “coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)”, the virus has been detected in 37 locations internationally, including cases in the U.S.  A U.S. soldier has been diagnosed while stationed in South Korea, where more than 1,140 cases have been detected. Update On U.S. Cases

As of February 25th, there have been 14 COVID-19 confirmed cases in the following states:

  • Arizona (1)
  • California (8)
  • Illinois (2 cases)
  • Massachusetts (1)
  • Washington (1)
  • Winsconsin (1)

Of the 14 cases, twelve were related to travel to China and two through close contact with a diagnosed individual. 

Repatriated Cases

There has been an additional 3 cases reported among U.S. citizens, residents and their families returning from Hubei province, China and 36 from the Diamond Princess Cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan.

To date, there have been no reported deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S.

CDC Public Health Response

A total of 1,336 CDC staff members have been working with state, local, tribal and territorial health departments to assist with case identification, evaluation and medical management.  In addition, the CDC is collaborating with academic partners to understand the virus characteristics, such as risk for transmission. CDC multidisciplinary teams include:

  • Physicians
  • Nurses
  • Pharmacists
  • Epidemiologists
  • Veterinarians
  • Laboratorians
  • Communicators
  • Data scientist and modelers
  • Coordination staff

Containment and Mitigation

According to Dr. Messonnier, the CDC will work to prevent the spread of the virus, while also implementing strategies to soften community impact. Currently, there’s no vaccination available to prevent COVID-19 and no targeted medications to treat.  Therefore, nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) will be used within communities. NPI categories addressed will include:

  • Personal - daily personal protective measures
  • Community - social distancing to keep those sick/diagnosed away from others
  • Environmental - surface cleaning measures

Dr. Messonnier reports CDC has been successful in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., as well as, allowing more time for the country to prepare. She also warned as more countries experience community spread, it will be harder to successfully contain U.S. borders.

Risk Assessment

According to the CDC, COVID-19 poses a high potential public health threat in both the U.S. and globally. But, individual risk of contracting the virus depends on exposure.

  • This immediate health risk from COVID-19 for the general U.S. public, who are unlikely to be exposed to the virus at this time, is considered low.
  • Individuals who care for patients with COVID-19, such as healthcare workers, will have an increased risk of infection.

If the virus reaches pandemic levels, the risk assessment would likely change.

Listen To The Full Briefing

Listen to the full February 25th CDC telebriefing here.

Follow updates at CDC’s COVID-19 U.S. Situational Summary

Let Us Hear From You

What is your employer and/or community doing to prepare for COVID-19?

References

CDC’s COVID-19 informational website

4 Votes
J.Adderton

About J.Adderton, BSN, MSN

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J. Adderton MSN has over 20 years experience in clinical leadership, staff development, project management and nursing education.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

The president of the United States held a press conference during which he misrepresented the facts about this threat. He then announced that Vice president Pence would be coordinating the information that is shared with the people. The pandemic planning experts and departments in NIH and CDC were thinned dramatically by Trump budget initiatives in 2018. The Trump administration is currently scrambling to rebuild previous capacity with acting department heads who are incompetent plutocrats. The pharmaceutical grifter in charge of HHS is pretty sure that millions of Americans won't be able to afford the vaccine, should they be successful in creating one....but it should be a good money maker.

This is a disaster waiting to happen.

6 Votes
Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.

We don't even have all the facts and I hope that this will clear up soon, but I agree it is better to prepare just in case. Either way I think all people would definitely benefit from politicians and others not politicizing this just to make so called points for their side. I think in this one very important incidence that we could put the divisiveness away and work together for the good of all people.

4 Votes
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
On 2/28/2020 at 8:52 PM, Daisy4RN said:

We don't even have all the facts and I hope that this will clear up soon, but I agree it is better to prepare just in case. Either way I think all people would definitely benefit from politicians and others not politicizing this just to make so called points for their side. I think in this one very important incidence that we could put the divisiveness away and work together for the good of all people.

There is no question that these viruses are bipartisan threats. The fact that the USA has dramatically scaled back EID investigations in other countries, specifically China, where the coronoviruses and influenzas originate, most definitely slowed our response and possible negatively effected the response in other countries where our teams were dramatically reduced in numbers and budget. It's important to realize that preparedness is not a static state and if not prioritized, will suffer. We've all seen that in our own clinical settings to one degree or another.

1 Votes

I take any political stuff with a grain of salt. First they say Trump is a racist because he wants to keep people from infected countries out. Now they say he should have stopped them from getting in. If it comes from a political source, you can not trust it.

2 Votes
Specializes in Hospice Home Care and Inpatient.

Anyone else thinking the North American Trade Agreement wasn't such a good idea? Or the Pan Asian agreement? We gave away the US manufacturing segment for cheaper to manufactured goods. Cheap goods come at a high price.

2 Votes
Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

Health Security is National Security

You either pay the inventory cost to stockpile or you pay the ongoing cost of keeping critical production domestic.

6 Votes

From 14 cases in Feb to 3+ million today. Just had to review this thread because the CDC was right then but they've let us down since then. Seems all the things we've learned about protective measures have gone out the window for politics and monetary greed. *sigh*

4 Votes
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

Good discussion on immunoglobulin and droplet versus aerosolized transmission.

Wear a mask.

4 Votes
On 2/28/2020 at 8:52 PM, Daisy4RN said:

We don't even have all the facts and I hope that this will clear up soon, but I agree it is better to prepare just in case. Either way I think all people would definitely benefit from politicians and others not politicizing this just to make so called points for their side. I think in this one very important incidence that we could put the divisiveness away and work together for the good of all people.

LOL. I don't think not politicizing it is in the POTUS plan.

3 Votes
On 2/27/2020 at 4:31 PM, toomuchbaloney said:

The president of the United States held a press conference during which he misrepresented the facts about this threat. He then announced that Vice president Pence would be coordinating the information that is shared with the people. The pandemic planning experts and departments in NIH and CDC were thinned dramatically by Trump budget initiatives in 2018. The Trump administration is currently scrambling to rebuild previous capacity with acting department heads who are incompetent plutocrats. The pharmaceutical grifter in charge of HHS is pretty sure that millions of Americans won't be able to afford the vaccine, should they be successful in creating one....but it should be a good money maker.

This is a disaster waiting to happen.

can't argue with any of this. it's the truth.

1 Votes
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