Coronaviruses are in Idaho, but not the strain from China
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - On Wednesday, officials confirmed a case of novel coronavirus in Wisconsin, bringing the total number of cases in the U.S. to 12.
While six states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusets, Washington and now Wisconsin) have confirmed cases, Idaho is not among them.
But coronavirus is in Idaho, it's just not the novel one you've been hearing so much about. According to the CDC, seven coronaviruses that can infect humans are known to exist. They were first identified in the 1960s.
"Most of the times it is not worrisome," Louise Zalusky-Kamm, infection preventionist at Portneuf Medical Center, said. "We actually do go ahead and test for four common cold viruses that are coronaviruses here at Portneuf Medical Center."
Currently, Portneuf is seeing a lot of coronavirus coinfections with influenza and the common cold. But not the "big, bad, scary one that's new in the news."
Still, these individuals are "pretty sick."
This new infection leaves a lot of unanswered questions that have raised concerns.
"We do not know how it will play out, we don't know the mortality, we don't know the symptoms or treatment. So right now it is supportive care," Zalusky-Kamm explained.
With nearly 300 people under investigation in the United States, Portneuf Medical Center is prepared for a potential spread.
The hospital implemented travel screenings, triaging and masking anyone who has come in contact with someone diagnosed with novel coronavirus or anyone who has been out of the country in the last two weeks.
People have failed the screenings recently, but the countries they visited were not considered to be of concern.
"They were sick individuals, but they had just other respiratory viruses," Zalusky-Kamm explained. "We want to be alert but not panic. And that's the fine line right there."
When asked if the flu is currently a bigger concern in Pocatello than the coronavirus, Zalusky-Kamm said it was.
"We have a lot of influenza cases that have coinfections and even the rhinovirus, the common cold, it is just sticking in people's systems longer. It's causing them to get viral pneumonia or bacterial pneumonia," she said.
During the 2019-2020 flu season in Idaho, 12 people have died from influenza-related illnesses. As of Wednesday evening, only 12 Americans had confirmed cases of novel cornavirus.
