Currents News Staff
“Prepare for the expectation that this is going to be bad.” Those words came Feb. 25 from the CDC’s director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
The coronavirus began its spread in China and has moved to other countries. U.S. government health officials are worried.
“Given the high-risk environment that the Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers came from, I would not be surprised if we have additional cases,” said Nancy Knight, director of the Division of Global Health Protection at the CDC.
Hundreds onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship were infected and then quarantined in Japan, but were recently given the okay to disembark and return to their home countries.
Meanwhile, earlier Feb. 25, President Donald Trump said the coronavirus crisis was under control in the U.S. But behind the scenes, he’s reportedly frustrated at how his administration is handling the outbreak.
That morning, on a state visit to India, Trump expressed confidence to reporters that the situation here is okay, even as other countries are hit hard.
“I can speak for our country and our country is under control,” he said. “But again, we do business with a lot of other countries. We take care, we work with other countries. We want other countries to be happy, healthy and well.”
There are outbreaks being reported in several parts of the world. As new cases slow in China, they’re increasing in countries like Iran, Italy and South Korea.
The doctor who heads up emergencies for the World Health Organization, Michael Ryan, is worried that if the coronavirus is not brought under control, it could engulf the globe.
“The virus may settle down into endemic pattern of transmission into a seasonal pattern of transmission, or could accelerate into a full blown global pandemic,” explained Dr. Ryan.