Hundreds of people have died from the coronavirus worldwide and on Tuesday, we learned how it would be handled in our state.
Experts from across the Hartford Healthcare system spoke to the public about the virus and what to do when faced with it.
Doctors discussed the virus and demonstrated the equipment they would use if someone needs to be quarantined.
Here in the United States, there's been 11 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Nine of those patients had been to China.
At least 425 people have died in China with more than 20,000 confirmed cases.
How Coronavirus Spreads
Officials believe the virus is most often spread from person-to person. It is thought to happen mainly when respiratory droplets during a cough or sneeze from an infected person land in the mouth or noses of people who are nearby. It can also possibly be inhaled in the lungs, the Centers for Disease Control said.
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It's unclear if you can get the virus from touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
Symptoms
Symptoms with coronavirus have ranged from little to none to people being severely ill and dying, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms to look out for include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
The CDC believes symptoms of coronavirus may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after being exposed, they said.
Coronavirus in the Northeast
So far, there haven't been any coronavirus cases in Connecticut. The closest confirmed case to our state is in Boston, Massachusetts, where a 20-year-old student was recently diagnosed after traveling back from Wuhan, China.
If you were in China within the last two weeks and feel sick with a fever, cough or difficulty breathing, you should get medical care.
Treatment
Experts said there is no specific antiviral treatment for the coronavirus. If you think you've been exposed to the virus, you should contact your doctor.
Coronavirus and the Flu
Health officials here said the bigger concern is the flu. Twenty three people have died from the flu so far this season in Connecticut. Officials said 252 people have been hospitalized here because of the flu.
The coronavirus does have flu-like symptoms so if you start showing signs of the flu, like muscle and body aches and a fever, you're urged to go to a doctor immediately.
