US tightens screening procedure in certain airports following Wuhan outbreak

LAX, JFK and San Francisco International Airport will be screening the passengers from Wuhan

A travel alert was issued in three airports in the US following the outbreak of the mysterious coronavirus killing two. The three airports that are going to screen the passengers has direct flights from Wuhan, China which is said to be the place of origin of the virus.

The passengers will be screened with the help of Center of Disease Control in the New York's JFK Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles's LAX.

The screening of the passengers began with JFK airport on Friday, while San Francisco International Airport handles direct flights from Wuhan will also start screening the direct flights on Saturday morning. LAX has connection flights from Wuhan and the US officials will be looking into the flights in Los Angeles for any ill passengers.

Officials have been dispatched to these airports

health
Flu (Representational picture) Pixabay

The estimate of people who might travel to the US from Wuhan stands at around 5,000 for the Chinese New Year. The director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Dr Nancy Messonnier said during a call to the reporters that she thinks at least one case could happen in the US. The screening procedure is for the precaution against the possibility of the virus spreading.

The overall chances of the virus coming into the country is very less according to CDC. Since the virus is new and has not been seen before the CDC believes that there is a need for precautionary measures while dealing with it. The emerging of the virus means that the population don't have immunity against it and there wouldn't be any treatments or vaccines available as of now.

Three cases identified outside China

So far three cases have been identified outside China. There have been 24 reported cases of 2019 nCoV in China. Two deaths have been reported linking to the virus which is said to have its roots in a market with live animals in Wuhan, China. But reports also suggest that it can pass from person to person.

The passengers flying in from Wuhan will be searched for respiratory issues and for fever. So far there has been no indication if the virus can be as dangerous as the SARS virus.

READ MORE