What COVID-19’s ‘inevitable’ spread in the United States actually means
The CDC is warning Americans to prepare for outbreaks. (DepositPhoto/)The novel coronavirus will likely spread across U.S. communities, according to a recent update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is not a question of “if” but “when” the COVID-19 virus escalates within our borders, Nancy Messonnier, the CDC’s director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a Tuesday media briefing.After observing rapid person-to-person spread in South Korea, Iran, and Italy, CDC officials now expect the trend to reach the United States. Researchers are currently scrambling to develop effective COVID-19 vaccines and antiviral drugs; meanwhile, the CDC urges US residents to prepare for possible containment measures like workplace and school closures, Messonnier said, depending on the spread’s severity. She also emphasized the importance of frequent hand-washing and surface disinfection to curtail the virus’ spread.“We are asking the American public to prepare in expectation...