DALLAS — With coronavirus cases spreading worldwide it’s important to stay up to date but also get the proper context. Here are five new things you need to know.
One death has been confirmed in the U.S.
A man in his 50s who tested positive for COVID-19 has died in Washington, the state's public health department confirmed Saturday.
While the news is alarming, the health department said the man suffered from underlying health conditions and the outcome is rare.
11 patients are being treated in San Antonio
Eleven people who tested positive for COVID-19 are being treated at the Texas Center for Infectious Disease in San Antonio.
Nine of those people confirmed to have coronavirus are among the group of Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers currently under federal quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, according to KENS in San Antonio.
Another patient confirmed with the virus was flown in from California this week to be treated, according to Metro Health.
One other patient was previously under federal quarantine at JBSA-Lackland. That patient was among the group that was brought to San Antonio on Feb. 6. Their quarantine was lifted on Feb. 20.
The rest of the cruise ship passengers currently at Lackland Air Force Base will finish their mandated quarantine period on March 2.
No other cases have been reported in the San Antonio community, health officials said.
Health officials are investigating pets
Health officials in Hong Kong are working to verify or rule out if a pet dog there contracted COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization.
The WHO said there is no proof household pets can spread the disease, based on past coronaviruses and what researchers know about COVID-19, but the organization is awaiting results.
The Surgeon General says: Stop buying masks
The surgeon general of the United States is urging healthy people to stop buying masks. A Saturday tweet said that they are not effective in preventing the general public from contracting COVID-19.
“They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus,” the Tweet reads. “But if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”
Face masks should be worn by health workers and patients who are already showing symptoms associated with COVID-19, the CDC said.
New travel concerns
The White House announced new restrictions which ban travel from Iran to the United States, and urged American travelers to avoid areas in Italy and South Korea where cases have spiked.
Despite the alert, President Donald Trump urged Americans not to overreact.
“There’s no reason to panic at all,” Trump said in a Saturday press conference. “This is something that is being handled professionally.”
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