With all of the information circulating about the novel coronavirus, people say they’re being more cautious.
Many people are on their way home from trips abroad, having cut trips short due to coronavirus concerns.
There are now more than 100 confirmed cases of the virus in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Morgan Winogradoff, a UConn student who just returned from a study abroad program in Italy, is now under a home quarantine order from the university.
“As of right now we have to resume classes online March 16 for the semester,” she told NBC Connecticut.
Winogradoff will finish studying the culture of Italy through online courses while she remains in New York. It’s one of the many changes people are dealing with as planning for the coronavirus evolves in the US.
“They followed up with another email to say self-quarantine yourself in your house,” Winogradoff said.
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She left Italy while it was a Level 2 travel warning by the CDC. With no symptoms, the UConn quarantine requirements are beyond what the CDC recommends, and may be out of caution.
“I understand the precaution and I think it isn’t unreasonable,” said Jeannie Kenkare, the chief medical officer of Physicians One Urgent care.
Kenkare explained the self-quarantine process.
“That means really staying home and not going out and about doing your daily activities,” she said. “So no going shopping, no going to the movies, even the leisure things we’d like to do.”
She said it helps keep exposure down, and suggests that anyone with flu-like symptoms should consider staying home.
“From a health perspective, when individuals are sick with fever, runny nose, congestion, cough, they should not be exposing themselves to other people.”
Winogradoff said she’s staying home for the 14 days as instructed and won’t be able to return to UConn’s campus until the fall semester. Right now there’s just no more room for the returning study abroad students.
Travelers aren’t the only ones beginning to see signs of virus preparations. The virus is slowing spreading in the US, but the message on preparing and being practical is also spreading, with hand sanitizer in high demand.
“ I tried to look to get those stocks, masks as well as hand sanitizers, it is out of stock over there,” pharmacist Muralikrishna Challagundla said.
Hand sanitizer is sold out at the Chapel Street Pharmacy. Challagundla said suppliers are out, and online prices are unimaginable.
“A case of 24 is around $300 or something like that.”
They also just sold out of regular surgical masks
“The anticipated delivery of shipment is a month or two months for the masks,” Challagundla said.
The full impact of the virus could take months to see.
Some students expressed concerns about postponed classes and programs, but believe the health care community is working hard to keep the number of cases low.
Data as reported on Mar. 2, 2020
Source: Johns Hopkins CSSE
Graphic: Shiying
Cheng, Nelson Hsu/ NBC Owned Television Stations
