Contagion

cdc.gov

Older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. Early data suggest older people are twice as likely to have serious COVID-19 illness.  This may be because:

    As people age, their immune systems change, making it harder for their body to fight off diseases and infection.
    Many older adults are also more likely to have underlying health conditions that make it harder to cope with and recover from illness.

If a COVID-19 outbreak happens in your community, it could last for a long time. Depending on the severity of the outbreak, public health officials may recommend community actions to reduce exposures to COVID-19. These actions can slow the spread and reduce the impact of disease.

If you are at increased risk for COVID-19 complications due to age or because you have a severe underlying medical condition, it is especially important for you to take actions to reduce your risk of exposure.

kfdm.com - by KFDM/Fox 4 - March 4, 2020

BREAKING NEWS: A Fort Bend County man has tested positive for coronavirus, according to media reports.

The presumptive case is the first in the state of Texas.

The man is in his 70's and recently traveled abroad, according to officials. He's in a hospital and in stable condition.

"This presumptive case is actionable and we are treating it as a positive," said Fort Bend County Judge KP George.

A researcher works in a laboratory developing testing for the coronavirus. Photo: Kena Betancur/Getty Images

axios.com - by Jonathan Swan, Caitlin Owens - March 1, 2020

A top federal scientist sounded the alarm about what he feared was contamination in an Atlanta lab where the government made test kits for the coronavirus, according to sources familiar with the situation in Atlanta . . . 

 . . . The FDA official who visited the Atlanta lab, Timothy Stenzel, is the director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health . . . 

 . . . Stenzel is a highly-regarded scientist and diagnostics expert. He was on the ground in Atlanta to deal with technical issues and happened to stumble upon the inappropriate procedures and possible contaminants.

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Stocking up on medical supplies and food could be helpful if the new coronavirus spreads in your community and you want to avoid store lines where you could be at risk of infection from others.  Max Posner/NPR

npr.org - by Maria Godoy - February 26, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is telling Americans that they should be prepared for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in their community.

But what does preparedness look like in practice? The short answer: Don't panic — but do prepare . . . 

 . . . We spoke with Dr. Stephen Morse, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center and other health experts about common-sense things you can do to be ready should the virus hit where you live.

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