As the death toll in the U.S. from the coronavirus (also called Covid-19) continues to climb, leaders across the country are bracing for the possibility of a widespread outbreak. Health experts suspect the virus has been spreading for weeks – and many people who have the virus may not even show symptoms. It’s all happening fast, so today, we’re breaking down exactly what you need to know about the health scare so far.
By the numbers (as of 5 p.m. yesterday):
- 92,315. The number of coronavirus cases confirmed worldwide.
- 108. The total number of coronavirus cases confirmed so far in the U.S. So far, there have been three cases confirmed in the state of Florida. Two out of the three patients are residents of Hillsborough County.
- 7. The number of U.S. deaths confirmed. All were in Washington state.
- 3,131. The total number of deaths confirmed worldwide. This map shows the location of all of the global cases.
- 1 year. A health expert told ABC News this week that we could still be one year away from a vaccine. The good news: Polk County health authorities are taking further action to be prepared for testing and treatment.
The City of Lakeland Emergency Management, a Division of the Lakeland Fire Department, continues to monitor the spread of the virus. See more details here.
Earlier this week, the Florida Department of Health arranged a press release announcing the two individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus (totaling the state’s number of cases, at the time) + Gov. DeSantis issued an executive order, directing the Surgeon General to declare this outbreak a public health emergency.
Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees clarified that one of the cases from Hillsborough County is a woman who recently flew back from a trip to Northern Italy, where a significant number of Covid-19 cases have been confirmed. The third case in Florida – which was discovered after the news conference – was the woman’s travel companion.
If you have travel plans check the CDC website’s coronavirus hotspots prior to continuing with travels. Anyone returning from traveling abroad is strongly encouraged to “self-isolate for 14-days.”
To best protect yourself from the virus, the CDC recommends following normal seasonal flu guidelines. Those steps include: washing your hands, covering your coughs, staying home when sick + immediately throwing away used tissues and similar items. You can continue checking updates on Florida coronavirus cases here.