Health Officials Monitoring Coronavirus

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is carefully monitoring the unfolding outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

The virus originated in China and has spread beyond the country’s borders with cases now reported in multiple other countries including the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported the second travel-related case in the U.S. Disease experts say the new coronavirus can cause respiratory illness with fever, cough and shortness of breath. At least 26 deaths have been reported in China. While CDC officials consider this a serious public health threat, they say the immediate health risk to the American public is currently considered low.

State Epidemiologist for DHHS Dr. Tom Safranek said it’s very possible that we could see a travel-related case here in Nebraska.