CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Wuhan, China (Updated)

Updated January 24, 2020

Situation Summary

CDC is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (termed “2019-nCoV”) that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and which continues to expand. Chinese health officials have reported hundreds of infections with 2019-nCoV in China, including outside of

Hubei Province. Infections with 2019-nCoV also are being reported in a growing number of countries internationally, including the United States, where the

first

and

second

2019-nCoV infections were reported on January 21 and January 24, 2020, respectively, both in travelers returning from Wuhan.

Chinese health authorities were the first to post the full genome of the 2019-nCoV in

GenBank

external icon

, the NIH genetic sequence database, and in the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (

GISAID

external icon

) portal, an action which has facilitated detection of this virus. On January 24, 2020, CDC posted in GenBank the full genome of the 2019-nCoV virus detected in the first U.S. patient from Washington state. The virus genetic sequence from the patient in Washington is nearly identical to the sequences posted from China. The available sequences suggest a likely single, recent emergence from a virus related to bat coronaviruses and SARS-CoV. The available sequence information does not provide any information about severity of associated illness or transmissibility of the virus.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people such as has been seen with

MERS

and

SARS

When person-to-person spread has occurred with MERS and SARS, it is thought to have happened via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. Spread of MERS and SARS between people has generally occurred between close contacts. Past MERS and SARS outbreaks have been complex, requiring comprehensive public health responses.

Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan, China reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, suggesting person-to-person spread is occurring. At this time, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading between people.

Both MERS and SARS have been known to cause severe illness in people. The situation with regard to 2019-nCoV is still unclear. While severe illness, including illness resulting in a number of deaths has been reported in China, other patients have had milder illness and been discharged.

There are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.

On This Page

Situation Summary

Risk Assessment

What to Expect

CDC Response

Other Available Resources

Risk Assessment

Outbreaks of novel virus infections among people are always of public health concern. The risk from these outbreaks depends on characteristics of the virus, including whether and how well it spreads between people, the severity of resulting illness, and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, vaccine or treatment medications).

Investigations are ongoing to learn more, but person-to-person spread of 2019-nCoV is occurring. It’s important to note that person-to-person spread can happen on a continuum. Some viruses are highly contagious (like measles), while other viruses are less so. It’s not clear yet how easily 2019-nCoV spreads from person-to-person. It’s important to know this in order to better assess the risk posed by this virus. While CDC considers this is a very serious public health threat, based on current information, the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time. Nevertheless, CDC is taking proactive preparedness precautions.

What to Expect

More cases are likely to be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States. Given what has occurred previously with MERS and SARS, it’s likely that person-to-person spread will continue to occur.

CDC Response

CDC is closely monitoring this situation and is working with WHO.

CDC established a 2019-nCoV Incident Management Structure on January 7, 2020. On January 21, 2020, CDC activated its Emergency Response System to better provide ongoing support to the 2019-nCoV response.

On January 23, 2020, CDC again raised its travel alert for the coronavirus outbreak. The travel notice for Wuhan City was raised from Level 2: Practice Enhanced Precautions to

Level 3: Avoid Nonessential Travel

. CDC also issued a

Level 1: Practice Usual Precautions

for the rest of China.

CDC also is conducting entry screening of passengers

on direct and connecting flights from Wuhan, China to five major airports: Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles, (LAX) New York city (JFK), and San Francisco (SFO).

CDC issued an

updated interim Health Alert Notice (HAN) Advisory

to inform state and local health departments and health care providers about this outbreak on January 17, 2020.

CDC teams have been deployed to support the ongoing investigation in Washington and Illinois to support the ongoing investigations of the two cases in the United States.

CDC has developed a real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) test that can diagnose 2019-nCoV in respiratory and serum samples from clinical specimens. On January 24, 2020, CDC

publicly posted the assay protocol

for this test. Currently, testing for this virus must take place at CDC, but in the coming days and weeks, CDC will share these tests with domestic and international partners through the agency’s

International Reagent Resource

external icon

CDC uploaded the entire genome of the virus from the first reported case in the United States to GenBank.

CDC also is growing the virus in cell culture, which is necessary for further studies, including for additional genetic characterization.

Other Available Resources

The following resources are available with information on 2019-nCoV

CDC Travelers’ Health: Novel Coronavirus in China

CDC Health Alert Network Advisory Update and Interim Guidance on Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China

CDC Health Alert Network Advisory information for state and local health departments and health care providers

CDC Information on Coronaviruses

World Health Organization, Coronavirus

external icon

Content source:

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)

Division of Viral Diseases

Honduras Arrests U.S.-Bound Iranians as New Caravan Heads North

JudicialWatch.org News

We now have another unnerving story about the border crisis, Iran, and national security. Our

Corruption Chronicles

blog

reports

Central American immigrants take part in a caravan heading to the United States on the road linking Ciudad Hidalgo and Tapachula, Mexico, on October 21, 2018. # Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty

hundreds join a new U.S.-bound caravan

in Honduras, authorities in the crime-infested Central American nation reveal that four Iranians were recently arrested there. Like thousands of illegal immigrants from around the world, the Iranians entered Honduras illegally and were heading north to the United States, according to a Honduran

newspaper article

that attributes the information to the president, Juan Orlando Hernández. The Iranians were transported to the capital, Tegucigalpa, and officials have launched an investigation.

Earlier this week Judicial Watch

reported

on a U.S. alert warning Mexico of armed Iranians planning to enter the country through the southern border, but it’s not clear if the cases are related and calls to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) went unanswered. The bulletin, issued by the Border Patrol’s regional intelligence operation center in Arizona, said that a Guatemalan national may try to smuggle five Middle Easterners—including a suicide bomber—into the U.S. through Mexico. The smuggler and four other men and a woman transited through Guatemala and Belize before reaching Veracruz, Mexico, according to the bulletin. The Guatemalan, whose name is redacted in the government document, was deported from California a year ago. U.S. authorities received the threat after picking up recordings distributed via social media, according to a Spanish-language

news story

published by a Latin American outlet.

The U.S. alert didn’t faze a busy Mexican border city’s police chief, who confirms the region is full of Middle Easterners, Africans and Asians trekking north. In a Latin American

news report

published shortly after the U.S. issued the bulletin, Mexicali Police Chief María Elena Andrade Ramírez matter-of-factly said the arrival of people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia as well as the rest of the Americas is “normal” in her California border city of about

a million residents

. In a separate article published in a Mexicali paper, authorities downplayed the situation by assuring citizens that the arrival of people from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and the rest of the Americas is “

something normal

.”

They don’t magically land in Mexico. Central America has long been a popular route for illegal immigrants from terrorist nations who want to reach the U.S. There’s no doubt many will infiltrate the new caravan heading to the Mexican border from the northern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula. President Hernández says some

70,000

immigrants from these countries cross through Honduras annually, even without an organized caravan.

When the first Central American caravan launched from Honduras in the fall of 2018, then Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales confirmed that nearly

100 ISIS terrorists

had been apprehended in Guatemala. Like its Honduran neighbor, Guatemala too is a major smuggling corridor for foreigners from African and Asian countries making their way into the U.S. In 2017, Guatemala’s largest paper, Prensa Libra, published an in-depth

piece

on the inner workings of an international human smuggling network that moves migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh to the U.S.

Over the summer

four ISIS terrorists

planning to enter the U.S. through Mexico were captured by the Nicaraguan military in a remote area where the men entered the country illegally from Costa Rica. Nicaraguan authorities identified the men as two Egyptian nationals—33-year old Mohamed Ibrahim and 26-year-old Mahmoud Samy Eissa—and two Iraqis, 41-year-old Ahmed Ghanim Mohamed Al Jubury and 29-year-old Mustafa Ali Mohamed Yaoob. The men arrived in Panama

on May 12

and in Costa Rica

on June 9

, according to an

article

published in Nicaragua’s largest newspaper.

Put all of this in the context of Democrats braying when President Trump took out Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s elite Quds military force and considered the world’s No. 1 terrorist.

JEROME BY DAVE WOLFE

ARTIST Dave Wolfe

Vol. 6 No. 31 (Jan. 26, 2020)

Editor\’s Note: Each Sunday morning we post a weekly comic strip provided by cartoonist Dave Wolfe. (click image to enlarge)

Gloucester City Weekend Basketball and Middle School

The Gloucester City Middle School Boys Grade 5/6 Team remained unbeaten when they top Haddon Twp 42-33 on Sunday.

The win for the school was the second this weekend as they beat previously unbeated Barrington.

Photo\’s Courtesy of Bruce Darrow

Pictured Below GHS Middle William Rodgers

Pictured below GHS Middle Guy Lynam

Pictured GHS Middle Keegan Cohan

Pictured below Middle School Vincent Kelly takes a Layup

Pictured below Carmen Palmiero Girls 3/4

Pet of the Week: Toby

I\’m a super lovable little guy who loves people. I\’m a little spoiled here – I have a favorite blanket, and I get tucked in most nights! But I\’d truly love to go to my forever home. I\’m really not interested in toys at this time, but people, oh yeah. I\’m just looking for a family to hang out with and maybe some day I\’ll find a toy that strikes my fancy. I\’m good with other dogs and hope to make new friends someday. I\’m learning how to walk nicely on a leash and should be good at it in no time flat. I would enjoy a fenced yard so I can run around if the mood strikes me. I should be fine children of around six years old and older only because I might accidentally knock a toddler down while exercising. With a little training, I\’ll be fine. Please come see me at

Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center

– I won\’t disappoint!

DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Jan. 13-19

Reminder for the week: Be cautious when boating icy waters or walking on frozen waterways

DOVER (Jan. 24, 2020) – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, promote boating safety, and protect the public through outreach, education, and law enforcement. To promote public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Jan. 13-19 made 1,709 public contacts and responded to 45 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Officers issued a total of 45 citations for the following listed violations related to:

Wildlife Conservation:

Hunting at night, hunting illegally on a Sunday other than for deer, hunting on a refuge, hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number, hunting migratory waterfowl without required federal waterfowl stamp, hunting migratory waterfowl over illegal bait, unlawfully taken goose, hunting with an unplugged shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, removing antlered deer parts prior to checking, failure to tag antlerless deer, failure to check antlerless deer within 24 hours, possession of unlawfully taken red fox, wildlife area map violation – not hunting in assigned waterfowl blind, no conservation access pass, and unlicensed hunting.

Public Safety:

Failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season, possession of heroin, possession of marijuana – civil, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Other:

Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area, camping in a state forest without a permit, possession of alcohol on a state forest, obstructing gate on state forest lands, criminal trespass 3

, operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area, loitering, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The public can report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or using the free smartphone DENRP Tip app downloaded from the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to

http://de.gov/ogt

, or using the DENRP Tip app; Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?

With the cold weather, anglers, hunters, and winter outdoor enthusiasts are reminded of the potential hazards of ice and winter weather and encouraged to follow these safety tips:

Waterfowl hunters using a boat should watch ice conditions and currents carefully to avoid becoming locked in by ice. Drifting ice in tidal marshes and waterways also can complicate rescue efforts.

Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts should exercise extreme caution when venturing out onto ice, and should always take along someone who could provide or summon help in an emergency situation.

Examine ice carefully before walking on it. Freshwater ice should be a minimum of 2 to 3 inches thick, clear, and solid, with no thin spots caused by springs or currents. Be wary of snow on the ice, which can hide weak spots. For ice fishing, ice should be at least 4 inches thick.

Driving ATVs, snowmobiles, or passenger vehicles on ice is

strongly

discouraged. To support the weight of a vehicle, ice must be at least 7 to 10 inches thick. Without an extended period of extreme cold, ice is unlikely to reach this thickness in Delaware.

Philadelphia Union Announces New Partnership With Ardent Credit Union

Ardent Credit Union named the Official Credit Union of the Philadelphia Union and Talen Energy Stadium

CHESTER, Pa. (Jan. 23, 2020)

– Today, the Philadelphia Union announced a new partnership with Ardent Credit Union, a Philadelphia-based member-owned financial cooperative, to become the official credit union of the Philadelphia Union and Talen Energy Stadium. As a part of the agreement, Ardent will be the presenting partner of year-round youth programming, community initiatives in the Philadelphia-area, and pregame activities for fans on the plaza.

“Serving the greater-Philadelphia area is a top priority for the Philadelphia Union and something that we aim to include as a part of every partnership agreement,” said Jean-Paul Dardenne, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at the Philadelphia Union. “With a strong focus on the counties immediately surrounding Philadelphia, we found a perfect partner in Ardent to continue our mission to create change in our own backyard.”

Ardent Credit Union will be the presenting partner of year-round youth soccer programs in the five counties served by Ardent – Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia. In addition, Ardent and the Philadelphia Union will produce a youth program which will provide financial education materials to schools in the greater Philadelphia area.

“We\’re thrilled to kick-off our partnership and financial education program with the Philadelphia Union,” said Rob Werner, President & CEO of Ardent Credit Union. “We have established a legacy of supporting financial literacy and are proud to align ourselves with an organization that offers youth programs that encourage learning. As two innovative, challenger brands with grit, we are looking forward to working together.”

For more information, please visit

www.philadelphiaunion.com

ABOUT PHILADELPHIA UNION

The Philadelphia Union is an innovative, forward-thinking professional soccer club competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) and one of Philadelphia’s five major league sports teams. Driven by unprecedented fan support, MLS awarded the Philadelphia expansion franchise rights to Jay Sugarman in 2008 and the Union kicked off its inaugural season in 2010. The club has reached the finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and has appeared in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

The Philadelphia Union is part of parent company Keystone Sports & Entertainment, which also operates USL Championship side Philadelphia Union II, the Philadelphia Union Academy, Philadelphia Union Foundation and Philadelphia Union Youth Programs. With a commitment to developing talent from the Delaware Valley, the Union have signed nine local players from their academy to a first team contract.

The Union play at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, PA on the banks of the Delaware River. The custom-built stadium is part of the Union’s unique waterfront campus, featuring an historic power plant rebuilt into a 500,000 sq. ft. creative office building, a state-of-the-art Training Complex, over 7 acres of professional grade practice pitches and multiple onsite parking fields. For more information about the Philadelphia Union, visit

www.philadelphiaunion.com

and follow @PhilaUnion on Twitter or Instagram.

ABOUT ARDENT CREDIT UNION

Ardent Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative. Originally founded in 1977 by the employees of the SmithKline Corporation, Ardent has more than $700 million in member assets. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Ardent serves Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester Counties. For more information, visit

ArdentCU.org

or call 800.806.9465.

Lehigh University announces names of NJ students who attained Dean\’s List

BETHLEHEM, PA (01/21/2020)– Students at Lehigh University attained Dean\’s List in Fall 2019. This status is granted to students who earned a scholastic average of 3.6 or better while carrying at least 12 hours of regularly graded courses. The following local students were named to the Dean\’s List at Lehigh University in the Fall 2019 semester:

Elora Marvasi of Maple Shade, NJ

Mackenna Brody of Woodstown, NJ

Albin Rosado of Pennsauken, NJ

Anastasia Citsay of Port Elizabeth, NJ

Dana Teach of Roebling, NJ

Sean Ellery of Haddonfield, NJ

Sean McKenna of Cherry Hill, NJ

Beverly Passos of Delran, NJ

Alexis Romeo of Maple Shade, NJ

Luke Kim of Moorestown, NJ

Evan Umstead of Cinnaminson, NJ

Brian Nasielski of Mount Laurel, NJ

Julia Zak of Mount Laurel, NJ

Larissa Chow of Hainesport, NJ

John Cantwell of Moorestown, NJ

Briana Boulton of Riverton, NJ

Ryan Ferdinand of Merchantville, NJ

Brad Edgerton of Roebling, NJ

Monica Powers of Cape May Court House, NJ

Matthew West of West Deptford, NJ

Madison Kahn of Ocean City, NJ

Renali Patel of Voorhees, NJ

Ann Foley of Merchantville, NJ

Gabriela Montes of Willingboro, NJ

Thomas Bolte of Moorestown, NJ

Cynthia Coleman of Mount Laurel, NJ

Alyson Duffin of Bellmawr, NJ

Isabella Cammisa of Cherry Hill, NJ

Kara Bonner of Medford, NJ

Mason Bitar of Voorhees, NJ

Andrea Pecora of Marlton, NJ

Destiny West of Cape May, NJ

Elizabeth Kolaski of Haddonfield, NJ

Dayna Pfau of Ocean City, NJ

Conor Gaffney of Haddon Heights, NJ

Bradford Geyer of Cinnaminson, NJ

For more than 150 years, Lehigh University (

lehigh.edu

) has combined outstanding academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research. The institution is among the nation\’s most selective, highly ranked private research universities. Lehigh\’s four colleges – College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Economics, College of Education and the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science – provide opportunities to 7,000 students to discover and grow in a learning community that promotes interdisciplinary programs with real-world experience.

GUEST OPINION: Trump Champions Pro-Life Cause

Bill Donohue | CNBNews Contributor

January 24, 2020

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on

President Trump\’s decision to address the March for Life crowd

Other presidents have offered their support to the pro-life cause, but only President Donald Trump has decided to participate in the March for Life. His pro-life record, coupled with his record in defense of religious liberty, makes him the most important Christian voice in the United States. No president, including President Ronald Reagan, can match his stellar achievements on these twin issues.

By contrast, we have the likes of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, both of whom have endorsed infanticide: there are no penalties for doctors who intentionally allow an innocent baby to die if he or she survives a botched abortion. However, First Prize goes to California Governor Gavin Newsom: he out-Hitlerized both men.

Earlier this month, Newsom said he wants to stop euthanizing animals. \”We want to be a no-kill state.\” Yet last year he issued a California Proclamation on Reproductive Freedom, one part of which was designed to welcome \”women to California to fully exercise their reproductive rights.\” In other words, his enthusiasm for killing the least among us is so passionate that he extended an open invitation to pregnant women across the United States to have their babies killed in his home state.

It will surprise no one to learn that Newsom is also a proponent of assisted suicide. Indeed, he likes it so much that he boasts of his role in assisting a person to commit suicide in 2002.

That person was his mother

. [At that time assisted suicide was a felony in California—he put her down in San Francisco.]

It\’s too bad Mr. \”No-Kill State\” Newsom didn\’t think of his mother the way he thinks of hamsters.

These are sick times. Kudos to President Trump for standing up for the most defenseless human beings. He looks positively angelic next to these monsters.

Republicans Blame Nadler For Holding Up A Ban On Fentanyl During Impeachment Trial

CHRIS WHITE

TECH REPORTER

Republican Oregon Rep. Greg Walden believes House Democrats’ “obsession” with impeaching President Donald Trump is distracting them from passing a temporary ban on fentanyl substances.

Democratic New York Rep. Jerry Nadler is

holding

up legislation preventing the distribution of a substance health officials say is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, Walden said in a statement Friday to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Oregon Republican said time is of the essence on this matter.

“Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee’s partisan obsession with impeachment is preventing us from taking common-sense action to extend a critical tool for law enforcement to combat the trafficking of fentanyl-related substances,” Walden said.

He added: “The Senate has passed an extension, but the House has yet to act. The House leadership needs to put the Senate bill on the floor next week so this critical authority does not lapse.”

Nadler spokesman Daniel Schwarz told the DCNF that Nadler is aware of the legislation.

The Drug Enforcement Administration

invoked

a ban on all fentanyl analogues in February 2018, but the ban expires Feb. 6. The Justice Department is pressuring Congress to enact a law allowing the DEA to ban the substances indefinitely, the Washington Post noted in a Jan. 5 editorial

A bipartisan group of senators

passed

the “Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act” on Jan. 16. The House of Representatives, meanwhile,

voted

on Jan. 15 to send the articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate. Nadler was selected as one of the House’s impeachment managers.

“I believe we are having a hearing on it early next week (Tuesday morning), which is needed before we can vote on anything,” Schwarz said, adding, “Not sure what the complaint is.”

Walden is not the only Republican who is criticizing the New York Democrat.

“While Chairman Nadler wastes taxpayer time on a partisan impeachment sham, he is failing to do his actual job on the Judiciary Committee,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy

wrote

in a Jan. 22 tweet. “

The Senate has unanimously (!) passed a ban on fentanyl. The same legislation languishes on Nadler’s desk.”

Walden is the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles opioids.

(RELATED: DOE’s Los Alamos Facility Lost Track Of Enough Fentanyl To Kill More Than 1,750 People, Report Shows)

Fentanyl was

found

in more than 50% of 5,000 opioid overdose deaths in 10 states in 2016. A dose of 2

milligrams

of fentanyl can kill a previously unexposed adult, meaning the loss or misuse of 3.5 grams of the substance due to an inventory error can potentially cause 1,750 deaths, federal research shows.

U.S. officials say the

bulk

of the drug is pouring into the country through China and parts of South America. Media

reports

show Trump is considering an executive order to halt shipments of fentanyl, a move designed to apply pressure to China as the U.S. continues fighting the opioid crisis. Meanwhile, the problem continues apace.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact

licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org