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Coronavirus not in PA yet, but Pennsylvanians already feel the sting from travel

Multiple people from Pennsylvania are being quarantined around the world for the Coronavirus. While they're not infected, health officials stay vigilant.

The Coronavirus outbreak has only been an issue for the last month, but since then it has infected tens of thousands of people, killed hundreds, and prompted worldwide action to control it.

So far, Pennsylvania has no confirmed cases of the Wuhan Coronavirus, also known as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health says the risk of contracting it in the Commonwealth right now is low. 

That being said, at least four Pennsylvanians who were traveling around the world recently have been quarantined for it. 

The most recent example is a PA couple on board the Diamond Princess, which is docked in a harbor in Yokohama, Japan.

Credit: Bill Smedley
Dillsburg couple wears masks as they are quarantined due to coronavirus

Bill and Colette Smedley are quarantined in their cabin. They were celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary. Smedley told FOX43 they began their trip on January 6th, and they were supposed to be home by February 3rd. On February 5th, they were quarantined.

They're among more than 400 Americans, and 3,700 passengers in total, who are stuck on board the ship while health officials determine who has the virus. 

Since the ship was quarantined, 135 passengers, including 24 Americans, have been diagnosed with Coronavirus. Monday's numbers from the Japanese Health Ministry are double what they were Sunday.

Credit: AP
The quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess anchors at the Yokohama Port, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, Yokohama, Japan. Japan’s health ministry said Monday that about 60 more people on the quarantined cruise ship have tested positive for a new virus. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

The Diamond Princess is under a two-week quarantine, set to expire on Feb. 19th. The Cruise line told the couple in a letter that all of their fees will be "fully refunded."

Meanwhile in San Diego, California, a Pennsylvania father and his Chinese daughter are under quarantine at a military base there

Frank Wucinski and his Daughter, Annebelle, arrived in the region last week from Wuhan, China. That's the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak. Now, they're being kept in isolation. 

Wucinski's wife is caring for her bedridden father, who has the Coronavirus. The couple decided Frank needed to go with their daughter back to the United States to protect her health, while the wife stays back in China. Frank and Annabelle are waiting for test results from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before they can be released.

They're worried about their flight back home to Pennsylvania once they're out of quarantine. Frank says they still don't have their luggage and the hospital gave Annabelle the clothes she has on now.

Those Pennsylvanians are very lucky to avoid contracting the Wuhan Coronavirus. The number of cases worldwide is well over 40,000. The vast majority of those are in China, and more than 3,000 cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours alone.

Credit: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University

910 people have died from the Coronavirus to date. 908 of those deaths were in China, including one U.S. citizen. One was recorded in Hong Kong, and the other happened in The Philippines.

Credit: Center For Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopikins Univerity

That death toll makes the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak even more deadly than the SARS outbreak in 2002, when 774 people worldwide died over the course of several months. 

According to the New York Times, The Chinese Health Commission also reports 97 people died in the last 24 hours; the highest death toll from the Coronavirus on a single day since the outbreak began.

Below is a breakdown of the number of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Asia and Europe:

Credit: Fox43
Credit: Fox43

Hundreds of people in the U.S. in 37 states were being investigated and tested for the Coronavirus. Results so far say 318 people tested negative, 68 are pending, and the remaining 12 have tested positive.

RELATED: This map tracks the coronavirus in real time

Symptoms of the Wuhan Coronavirus are similar to Pneumonia. It causes respiratory issues and can easily spread from person to person. Fever, cough, and shortness of breath are all things that people should keep an eye on. The Pennsylvania Department of Health says symptoms may appear as early as two days, or as long as two weeks, after exposure.

There are a number of things people can do to avoid the Coronavirus.

First, don't travel to China. The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning for people to not go to China since Wuhan is where the outbreak started.

Second, cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow. Do not use your hands.

Third, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Fourth, and finally, stay home if you're sick and until you feel better.

PA Dept. of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine adds anyone who is concerned about going to a Chinese restaurant, or being around Asian people, should not worry about getting it. She says no racial or ethnic group is more likely to have the Coronavirus than the next.

RELATED: PA issues new guidance for those returning from China in light of coronavirus concerns

She does say anyone who has arrived from China in the last two weeks should stay home and self-monitor for symptoms for two weeks.

Franklin and Marshall college in Lancaster County has 16 students that fall into that category. The Campus Wellness Center is helping them with temporary isolation. The school said 13 students are out of self-isolation, while the remaining three should be released by Friday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health also warns about contracting the Coronavirus from surface contact, though it's not likely someone will catch it that way. Tegna Verify teams shows what things you should and should not worry about when worried about regarding the virus' transmission. Just click here.

RELATED: VERIFY: Can the Wuhan coronavirus spread from surfaces?

U.S. health officials are taking serious measures to make sure they can catch anyone with the Coronavirus from entering the country. The CDC has staff at International airports all over the country who are screening passengers on direct and connecting flights to Wuhan and anyone else returning from mainland China.

Foreign nationals who have visited China within the last two weeks are not allowed to enter the United States. American citizens who were there in the last two weeks are allowed to return home, but their flights are being redirected to one of 11 airports for health screenings.

It's not entirely clear when health officials will be able to contain the outbreak, or if and when a potential vaccine will be available. But if trends continue, things will get worse before they get better.

RELATED: Wuhan coronavirus kills 89 more people in one day in China as death toll tops SARS

RELATED: Healthcare officials work to prevent spread of coronavirus at the local level

 

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