The infectious disease, coronavirus has quickly continued to spread to the United States. The death toll has risen up to 640 with 31,000 cases worldwide as of Friday, Feb 7 (CBS News). Of the confirmed cases, 12 have been U.S. inhabitants, a few in our home state of Massachusetts.

Coronavirus is a ‘zoonotic’ disease, meaning that it is transported between animals and people (World Health Organization). The symptoms of this deadly disease include respiratory issues, fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing; much like symptoms of the common cold.  

However, coronavirus can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death (World Health Organization).

Precautions for this virus include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing and avoiding anyone who shows symptoms listed previously.  

According to CBS News, there were two more charter flights carrying nearly 300 evacuees from the origin city of the outbreak, Wuhan, China, and three of the 41 Americans on a Japanese cruise were recently quarantined. 

It has been confirmed that China’s communist party silenced a Chinese doctor who tried to warn others about the horrors of the disease. This doctor, Li Wenliang died on Feb. 1 after contradicting the disease himself (NYT). Investigations are proposed to happen as to why Wenliang was silenced.

Three new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Singapore today, bringing the city’s total cases to 33. No definite origin for the virus has been found for the city.

American passengers who left Wuhan on Thursday are being sent to quarantine in Texas and Nebraska. Omaha, Texas is prepared for up to 250 people.

In New Jersey, a landlocked cruise had four victims of the disease sent to the hospital. The governor, Phil Murphy says that the risk for the disease remains low.