LAX screening passengers from China as coronavirus reaches US
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles International Airport and other American airports are on high alert following the first confirmed travel-related case of the coronavirus in the U.S.
LAX is among the five airports right now in the U.S. screening airline passengers from China. The coronavirus that has sickened hundreds and killed nine people in China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.
The first case in the U.S. is being reported in the state of Washington. A man in his 30s was hospitalized after returning from Wuhan in central China.
Health care providers are now bracing for what may come as Lunar New Year travel ramps up.
"We have to be really cautious because our immune systems have not seen this virus before," said Dr. Anthony Cardillo with Adventist Health. "And that's why we're all very susceptible, particularly the very young and the very old."
The potentially deadly coronavirus arrives just as the flu is on the upswing. The CDC says symptoms can look like the common cold, flu or pneumonia.
In Wuhan, commuters wear masks as the virus continues to spread. There are more than 400 cases reported in China and 9 people have died.
Doctors urge people to wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid crowded areas and to cover your mouth when coughing.
