>>> THIS MORNING ON YOUR HEALTH, THE LATEST ON CORONAVIRUS.

THE LATEST ON CORONAVIRUS. THE NUMBER OF INFECTED PEOPLE

THE NUMBER OF INFECTED PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD RIGHT NOW

AROUND THE WORLD RIGHT NOW STANDS AT MORE THAN 77,000.

STANDS AT MORE THAN 77,000. >> THAT’S RIGHT.

>> THAT’S RIGHT. AND RIGHT HERE IN THE U.S. THERE

AND RIGHT HERE IN THE U.S. THERE ARE 34 CONFIRMED CASES AND THE

ARE 34 CONFIRMED CASES AND THE CDC IS WARNING AMERICANS THAT

CDC IS WARNING AMERICANS THAT THIS CONTAGION REPRESENTS A

THIS CONTAGION REPRESENTS A TREMENDOUS PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT.

TREMENDOUS PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT. NBC NEWS MEDICAL CONTRIBUTOR DR.

NBC NEWS MEDICAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. NATALIE AZAR HERE WITH MORE.

NATALIE AZAR HERE WITH MORE. THANK YOU DR. NATALIE FOR BEING

THANK YOU DR. NATALIE FOR BEING HERE.

HERE. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS UP

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS UP TICK?

TICK? HOW CONCERNS SHOULD AMERICANS

HOW CONCERNS SHOULD AMERICANS FEEL?

FEEL? >> WE CERTAINLY ANTICIPATED

>> WE CERTAINLY ANTICIPATED WE’RE GOING TO HAVE MORE CASES

WE’RE GOING TO HAVE MORE CASES IN THE U.S.

IN THE U.S. AND WHILE THE THREAT OF A GLOBAL

AND WHILE THE THREAT OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC IS DEFINITELY REAL AND

PANDEMIC IS DEFINITELY REAL AND IT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE

IT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE IN THIS COUNTRY, OFFICIALS HERE

IN THIS COUNTRY, OFFICIALS HERE ARE STILL MAINTAINING THAT THE

ARE STILL MAINTAINING THAT THE RISK TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS IN

RISK TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS IN FACT STILL VERY LOW.

FACT STILL VERY LOW. >> HOW PREPARED ARE HEALTH AND

>> HOW PREPARED ARE HEALTH AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOR THIS

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOR THIS CORONAVIRUS?

CORONAVIRUS? AND MEAN, THAT’S THE REAL

AND MEAN, THAT’S THE REAL CONCERN, RIGHT?

CONCERN, RIGHT? ARE WE BEING SUFFICIENTLY

ARE WE BEING SUFFICIENTLY PROTECTED?

PROTECTED? >> SO, PETER, THE CDC IS

>> SO, PETER, THE CDC IS ACTIVELY REVIEWING ITS GLOBAL

ACTIVELY REVIEWING ITS GLOBAL PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND

PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH

COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AND

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AND HOSPITALS AND COMMUNITIES IN

HOSPITALS AND COMMUNITIES IN THIS COUNTRY.

THIS COUNTRY. SO HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS IS

SO HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND MAKING

INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND MAKING SURE HOSPITALS ARE PREPARED FOR

SURE HOSPITALS ARE PREPARED FOR AN INFLUX OF PATIENTS AND MAKING

AN INFLUX OF PATIENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT HEALTH CARE WORKERS

SURE THAT HEALTH CARE WORKERS HAVE ADEQUATE SUPPLIES.

HAVE ADEQUATE SUPPLIES. ADDITIONALLY MORE ON THE FRONT

ADDITIONALLY MORE ON THE FRONT TEAR IF YOU WILL THERE ARE

TEAR IF YOU WILL THERE ARE AIRPORT SCREENINGS THAT ARE IN

AIRPORT SCREENINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE.

PLACE. THERE IS VOLUNTARY

THERE IS VOLUNTARY SELF-QUARANTINE FOR PEOPLE THAT

SELF-QUARANTINE FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE TRAVELED TO CHINA AND THERE

HAVE TRAVELED TO CHINA AND THERE ARE ALSO 20 CDC QUARANTINE

ARE ALSO 20 CDC QUARANTINE STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY THAT ARE PREPARED TO HANDLE

THAT ARE PREPARED TO HANDLE CASES.

CASES. >> WELL, THIS IS NEW SPREAD.

>> WELL, THIS IS NEW SPREAD. THAT’S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, A

THAT’S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, A NEW STRAIN I SHOULD SAY.

NEW STRAIN I SHOULD SAY. AND SO HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE

AND SO HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW IT’S SPREAD.

IT’S SPREAD. WHAT DO YOU THEY KNOW ABOUT

WHAT DO YOU THEY KNOW ABOUT THAT?

THAT? >> THERE WAS A REPORT IN THE NEW

>> THERE WAS A REPORT IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE

ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE ABOUT THIS CONCEPT OF

ABOUT THIS CONCEPT OF ASYMPTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

ASYMPTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AND THEY DID FIND THE VIRUS WAS

AND THEY DID FIND THE VIRUS WAS DETECTABLE IN THE RESPIRATORY

DETECTABLE IN THE RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS OF PEOPLE BEFORE THEY

SECRETIONS OF PEOPLE BEFORE THEY WERE DISPLAYING SYMPTOMS.

WERE DISPLAYING SYMPTOMS. REINFORCING THE IDEA THAT A

REINFORCING THE IDEA THAT A SYMPTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS NOT

SYMPTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS NOT USUALLY WHAT DRIVES EPIDEMICS.

USUALLY WHAT DRIVES EPIDEMICS. WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY HOW

WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY HOW CONTAGIOUS THAT IS IN AN

CONTAGIOUS THAT IS IN AN ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUAL.

ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUAL. TRADITIONALLY THE MORE

TRADITIONALLY THE MORE SYMPTOMATIC AN INDIVIDUAL IS

SYMPTOMATIC AN INDIVIDUAL IS THAT’S THE TIME WHEN BACTERIA OR

THAT’S THE TIME WHEN BACTERIA OR VIRUSES ARE MORE EVIDENT AND ARE

VIRUSES ARE MORE EVIDENT AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE TRANSMITTED.

MORE LIKELY TO BE TRANSMITTED. >> AND THERE’S NO GOOD TIME FOR

>> AND THERE’S NO GOOD TIME FOR ANYTHING LIKE THIS, BUT IT’S

ANYTHING LIKE THIS, BUT IT’S ALSO FLU SEASON.

ALSO FLU SEASON. SO ARE HOSPITALS PREPARED FOR

SO ARE HOSPITALS PREPARED FOR THE POTENTIAL OF A CORONAVIRUS

THE POTENTIAL OF A CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK ON TOP OF THE FLU?

OUTBREAK ON TOP OF THE FLU? >> AS I MENTIONED BEFORE PART OF

>> AS I MENTIONED BEFORE PART OF THAT HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS IS TO

THAT HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS IS TO BE PREPARED FOR INFLUX.

BE PREPARED FOR INFLUX. SOME INSTITUTIONS ARE AUGMENTING

SOME INSTITUTIONS ARE AUGMENTING OR ENHANCING THEIR VIRTUAL

OR ENHANCING THEIR VIRTUAL URGENT CARE SO THEY’RE TRIAGING

URGENT CARE SO THEY’RE TRIAGING PATIENTS BEFORE THEY COME INTO

PATIENTS BEFORE THEY COME INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM TO INUNDATE

THE EMERGENCY ROOM TO INUNDATE THE ER.

THE ER. THEY’RE MANAGING PATIENTS TO SAY

THEY’RE MANAGING PATIENTS TO SAY I THINK YOU NEED TO COME IN

I THINK YOU NEED TO COME IN VERSUS I THINK YOU NEED TO STAY

VERSUS I THINK YOU NEED TO STAY HOME.

HOME. >> I WE CAN’T REMIND PEOPLE

>> I WE CAN’T REMIND PEOPLE ENOUGH WASH YOUR HANDS, WASH

ENOUGH WASH YOUR HANDS, WASH YOUR HANDS.

YOUR HANDS. >> HONESTLY, YES.

>> HONESTLY, YES. ABSENT AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OR

ABSENT AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OR VACCINE WHICH IS NOT YET

VACCINE WHICH IS NOT YET AVAILABLE IT’S THE SIMPLE,

AVAILABLE IT’S THE SIMPLE, SIMPLE HYGIENE THINGS THAT CAN

SIMPLE HYGIENE THINGS THAT CAN REALLY GO A LONG WAY.