With 10 coronavirus cases in Texas, Abbott stresses state is prepared to handle scenarios
New cases have been reported in Texas since this story was published. For updates on the spread of coronavirus in Texas, please check our most recent reporting here.
As officials warn of the possible spread of coronavirus throughout the U.S., Gov. Greg Abbott stressed Thursday that Texas state agencies are prepared to handle a variety of scenarios regarding a potential outbreak.
State agencies are communicating frequently with federal officials, public health providers and more, Abbott said after state officials, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, were briefed at the State Operations Center in Austin on the virus that causes COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus.
“They come with batteries included when it comes to being able to respond to this,” Abbott said, referring to state agencies. “We have an extremely robust, well-informed activated force to prepare for any potential outcome that we may have to deal with.”
Ten people have tested positive for the virus in Texas currently, and in total 145 repatriated individuals are being monitored, said Nancy Knight, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s director of the division of global health protection.
Out of the 10 patients who tested positive, two had been brought from Wuhan, China — where the virus was first detected — while the remaining eight were passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that set sail from Japan and was later quarantined and evacuated, Knight said.
“All of those individuals who have tested positive are currently in isolation off the base where they are in various stages of recovery from their illness,” Knight said.
The remaining quarantined individuals at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio are checked twice a day for symptoms, and if anyone were to develop symptoms during the 14-day quarantine period, they would then be transferred to a health care facility for treatment and testing, Knight said. Last week, 90 evacuees who had been held at the base were cleared to go home.
Late last month, Abbott said in a news release that he had participated in a call with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, federal officials, the directors of the CDC and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and other governors to collaborate and plan strategies to prevent the disease’s spread.
Abbott said Thursday he had spoken with Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading federal efforts. Abbott expressed thanks for the federal government’s leadership in responding to the outbreak.
“The vice president made it sound like they were very committed to assisting the states in any way possible. And so we’ll have to wait and see how much funding Congress provides,” Abbott said.
Abbott made clear that there has been no instances of community spread in Texas, like was reported in California this week. The Texas Department of State Health Services and local health departments are contacting travelers returning from China to monitor any possible symptoms.
Asked to elaborate on the chances that a Texan could die from the virus, Abbott deferred to medical professionals.
“I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on TV. I would have to leave it to the medical professional to discuss what the potential death rate would be,” he said.
The state is preparing to handle a variety of developments, and is communicating regularly with local health departments, school districts, higher education institutions and more, Abbott said, stressing that the state is not starting from scratch and is building upon its past efforts handling outbreaks, like Ebola and H1N1.
Asked if the state would be prepared to shut down any cities in the event of a worst case scenario, Abbott said “that’s a hypothetical I can’t get to yet.”
Abbott was also briefed late last month by the heads of state agencies. The Department of State Health Services has been taking the lead on coronavirus response and had virtually activated the State Medical Operations Center late last month, while the Texas Division of Emergency Management is coordinating with local agencies to ensure supplies were delivered to communities.
John Hellerstedt, the commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said the CDC has given laboratories within the state the green light to receive and administer coronavirus testing kits and is beginning the validation process.
“That is a technical process that has to take place in order for us to establish that we can have reliable testing here in Texas,” Hellerstedt said.
The coronavirus has rapidly spread worldwide, with outbreaks in places like Iran, Italy, South Korea and Japan. Its spread to more than 45 countries has resulted in at least 2,809 deaths, caused stock markets to plummet and restricted travel to certain areas.
A new case of the virus in northern California Wednesday could be the first instance of community spread in the U.S. — as the person who tested positive reportedly has not traveled recently to an affected area or been exposed to anyone known to have the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Wednesday’s case in California brings the total cases in the U.S. to 60, although the earlier U.S. cases have been related to people who had recently traveled abroad, had family who had or were evacuated from affected areas, according to the Associated Press.
While there have been reports of possible cases in Texas, tests for suspected cases in students attending Texas A&M and Baylor University came back negative last month. In San Antonio, passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was evacuated from Japan have been quarantined, and infected patients are being treated there as well.
The Texas Department of State Health Services stressed that the risk of infections for Texans remains low.
“There are no other cases in Texas, and these cases do not change the risk of infection for people in San Antonio or other parts of Texas, because the patients have been under federal quarantine since their return and have not interacted with the public in Texas communities,” reads a Texas Department of State Health Services webpage dedicated to information on the virus’ spread.
Precautionary steps
Coronavirus symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath, and it’s believed to mainly spread between people in close contact with one another or when an infected person coughs or sneezes nearby, according to the CDC.
Health officials have stressed that they still have more to learn about the emerging disease, for which there is no vaccine. Here are steps the CDC recommends people take to prevent exposure and illness:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and clean and disinfect surfaces.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- If showing symptoms, wear a facemask to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. A facemask is not recommended for people who are well.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 6:23 PM.
