First American Death Due To Coronavirus

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WASHINGTON — The CDC has confirmed the first American deaths as a result of the coronavirus.

Two people are now dead from the virus in Washington State. As the virus continues to spread across the globe, US health experts are stopping short of calling a pandemic. HHS Secretary Alex Azar told ABC’s “This Week” that he will leave it up to the World Health Organization on whether or not to label the outbreak a pandemic.

Indiana’s Alex Azar, head of the U.S. Health and Human Services Dept.

 

In the meantime, people are going to extremes to protect themselves from contracting the coronavirus, such as limiting physical touch and even buying up surgical masks. Dr. Jerome Adams, Indiana’s former state health commissioner who is now the U.S. Surgeon General, tells Fox News the belief that a surgical mask will protect you from the virus is misguided.

 

Dr. Jerome Adams, Indiana’s former state health commissioner who is now the U.S. Surgeon General

 

“The coronavirus is an upper respiratory virus and a surgical mask does not protect you from that kind of virus,” he said. “In fact, when people buy up these masks and hoard these masks then they might not be available for healthcare providers to use for patient care.”

He said surgical masks are more effective on people who are already infected with an illness to keep them from infect other rather than the other way around. He said other types of masks are not very effective at preventing you from getting sick either.

Adams suggests you stick to the basics: washing your hands, wipe down your surfaces at work, stay home if you feel ill, etc.

Even if you do end up getting infected, Adams said that the chances of you dying are still extremely low. He added that the chances of you dying should you become infected are also low. In fact, Adam said you should be more worried about the flu.

“I was in Florida with the Vice-President on Friday,” said Adams. “They’ve had over 100 people die from the flu in Florida. They haven’t had a single diagnosis of the flu so it’s important for Americans to keep things in perspective.”

Overseas, over 3,000 people have died and many more have become infected.

 

Image by _freakwave_ from Pixabay