NEW YORK – US health authorities will begin examining passengers on flights from central China to determine if they carry a new virus that has spread among dozens of people and has so far caused the death of two of them , which causes concern about the possibility of a new international epidemic.
The authorities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CFC) announced Friday that they will begin to take temperatures and ask about symptoms for passengers arriving at three US airports and traveling from the United States. Wuhan city, where the outbreak occurred.
Officials estimate that some 5,000 passengers will undergo the process in the coming weeks at JFK International Airport in New York City, Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. The first direct flight was expected for this Friday night at JFK, and the next for Saturday morning in San Francisco.
More than 40 cases of the newly identified coronavirus have been confirmed in Asia, including both deaths, at least one of them related to a previous medical condition. The authorities have pointed out that it probably spread from animals to people, but they have not been able to rule out the possibility of being spread from person to person.
So far, the risk to Americans is considered low, but the CDC said they want to be prepared and are taking precautions, said doctor Martin Cetron, a CDC official.
It is always possible for a virus to mutate to become more dangerous. It is also likely that more cases will arise worldwide, including at least one at some time in the United States, said another CDC official, Dr. Nancy Messonnier.
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