Mississippi health professionals are keeping an eye on the coronavirus as more cases are confirmed around the country. Neshoba General Hospital Education Director and Emergency Planner Sid Hill said coronavirus is similar to the common cold or flu.
“First of all at this time, the symptoms you would see we would only be worried about if you had been to China or had access to someone who had in the last 14 days. We would look for flu like symptoms, cough, cold, general fatigue,” said Hill.
While coronavirus may look like the common cold or flu, Hill said it is more serious.
“The death rate with the Coved-19, which is the official name of the coronavirus we are talking about is around 2-3 percent. The flu we see go through the nation every year is only 1 percent. So it is more deadly and it is highly contagious,” said Hill.
Even though Mississippi has no confirmed cases of coronavirus, Hill said state health officials are paying close attention to the situation around the nation.
“You’re way more likely to be exposed to the flu, a regular cold, maybe a rhinovirus, something like that than you are Coved-19. We keep in contact with the Mississippi Department of Health and the CDC on a daily basis as this situation evolves,” said Hill.
Hill said he is fully confident in the nation’s and the state’s abilities to safely handle the virus if it becomes a problem.
More than 50 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the United States.