Emily Willingham

<p>As early as January, patients in China were <a href="https://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2020/03/22/gutjnl-2020-320891" id="2bd4e780-6be0-35d6-a25a-4b6b399879ca">  showing up at clinics with diarrhea </a> and testing positive for COVID-19. One epidemiological study of 206 patients in China found that 48 of them had <a href="https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Documents/COVID19_Han_et_al_AJG_Preproof.pdf" id="809f18d8-1eb1-315f-a6d3-22bfdcbb5e6c">  no other symptoms but gut issues </a> . In that study, patients with digestive symptoms had a low severity of disease, the authors say, but they took longer to clear the virus, especially from the stool.</p>

<p>True to its reputation for unpredictability, in <a href="https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Documents/COVID_Digestive_Symptoms_AJG_Preproof.pdf" id="d66fc7d8-4d5c-38ac-a5f4-8c90ca006c3f">  another study </a> also chronicling patients in ChinaCOVID-19 with gut symptoms was linked to worse findings. These researchers concluded that patients with digestive symptoms showed more evidence of liver and blood clotting problems than those who did not.</p>

<p>What the two studies had in common was that about a third of the patients had some kind of gastrointestinal symptom, usually diarrhea. Nausea and vomiting were more rare. </p>

<p>The same pattern is turning up outside of China, including <a href="https://www.ntvg.nl/artikelen/covid-19-op-de-spoedeisende-hulp-bernhoven/abstract" id="9526aed4-9cce-37ba-aaac-3169d5455c5f">  in Europe </a> (a third of patients, again), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to its online <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html" id="b8f9f0aa-bfe1-3c3f-a561-e50162b2b0b2">  coronavirus self-checker </a> .</p>

<h1> When should you worry about your diarrhea? </h1>

<p>The CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/maritime/definitions-signs-symptoms-conditions-ill-travelers.html" id="5d3f0ec5-afae-3227-aa91-b440056747e9">  defines diarrhea </a> as 3 or more loose stool events in 24 hours, or a rate of these events thats unusual for you. If you experience this, in the current climate, you might want to consider isolating yourself as you would if you developed a more common COVID-19 symptom.</p>

<p>The time to call your doctor is if you have blood in your stool, says Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. That would be a red flag, he says, as would having five or more bowel movements a day. If that happens, you should probably contact somebody, he says. </p>

<h1> What can you take for diarrhea right now? </h1>

<p>Not much in the way of pills. We know of nothing that can alter the course of the disease, says Tim Lahey, M.D., an infectious disease doctor and ethicist at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Furthermore, sometimes, GI symptoms can be the result of anxiety about COVID-19 giving you diarrhea, he says.</p>

<p>Dr. Chin-Hong says that if you develop diarrhea, youll want to avoid nonspicy foods and take clear liquids, all the usual things around diarrhea, he says. Nausea is more rare in his experience, he says, representing probably less than 10 percent of cases. </p>

<p>One concern with diarrhea, especially if you have fever, too, is losing too many electrolytes. Replacement options include Pedialyte, Gatorade, or other electrolyte-replacing beverages. </p>

<p>The thing you want to try to avoid, says Dr. Chin-Hong, is reaching for the Imodium. If your diarrhea is bothersome in its frequency or youre seeing blood in your stool, you should probably contact somebody before you try to suppress it with drugs, he says. With diarrhea, often whats in there needs to get out.</p>

<p>The reports from China describe diarrhea as lasting from 1 to 14 days, with an average of 5.4 days. The average frequency of loose stools was 4.3 a day. </p>

What to Know about Diarrhea and the Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is a slippery customer. The trio of characteristic symptoms is supposed to be cough, fever, and trouble breathing. But clinicians are learning that in a subset of patients with COVID-19, gastrointestinal issues can be the firstand sometimes onlysymptom. (In another subset, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a31898576/coronavirus-loss-of-smell-taste/" id="4e4245b6-2809-3080-a4c3-ddc07a858873">  loss of smell and taste </a> is.)

Diarrhea, Another Unwelcome Symptom of COVID-19

<p>What qualifies as essential might be more flexible than you think. Many jobs remain essential, including healthcare, banking, and food preparation. Errands that are essential relate to what you and your family members need to remain healthy and keep your household functioning. The key is to stay inside unless you have a truly essential need to leave your home. </p>

<p>Although heavy crackdowns are not currently planned, violating these orders is technically a misdemeanor. The orders also, for now, share a <a href="https://coronavirus.marinhhs.org/sites/default/files/Files/Shelter%20in%20Place/Shelter%20in%20Place%20Order%2016%20March%202020.pdf" id="89344574-ce40-3705-a3be-df563639e162">  set of common rules </a> , whether they apply to residents of <a href="https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/DiseaseInformation/novel-coronavirus/Pages/order-health-officer-031620.aspx" id="d227aae2-3102-3e69-a99e-a5b15ba16f2d">  San Jose </a> or <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/hoboken-mayor-asks-entire-city-to-self-isolate-restricts-public-crowds-to-5-or-less/2331211/" id="6952fa13-138c-3547-a3ea-2b622d5ace26">  Hoboken </a> , and a key phrase can help you stay on the straight and narrow: keep a distance of 6 feet.</p>

<p>Below are a few important questions and answers about what these orders could mean for you. Because the situation with the novel coronavirus changes by the hour, keep up with information about orders specific to your area by checking with your local public health department.</p>

<h1>  Is it OK to interact with family?  </h1>

<p>A common phrase among these orders is that people should physically distance themselves from others by at least 6 feet. Maintaining this gap helps maintain health. You do not, however, need to walk around your house carefully staying 6 feet away from others who live with you, as long as they do not have COVID-19. The 6 feet of distance rule applies to people in shared public spaces or outdoors. </p>

<p>Pets are considered household members in these orders. Their essential needs can include needing to go on walks, so yes, you can walk the dog.</p>

<h1>  Is it OK to take a walk or run outdoors?  </h1>

<p>Yes, as long as you maintain a distance of 6 feet from people you encounter on an outing, these orders so far allow people to engage in outdoor activities such as walking, running, and hiking.</p>

<h1>  Is it OK to go out for groceries?  </h1>

<p>Yes. Essential includes getting food for yourself, your family, and your pets and extends to obtaining household products for the continued operation of your home.</p>

<p>Yes, the orders generally allow restaurants to continue to prepare food for takeout and delivery. Many restaurants are now including an option in their online ordering systems for delivery drivers to leave the food at the door, with no personperson interaction required.</p>

<h1>  Is it OK to go to the laundromat?  </h1>

<p>Yes, laundromats are allowed to stay open as essential, and people can use them, with the 6 feet apart physical distancing rule in play.</p>

<p>Public transit is only for people whose travel is for the essential purposes listed in the shelter in place orders, and people using it still must follow the 6 feet apart rule.</p>

<h1>  Can I still use a ride share?   </h1>

<p>Some ride-share companies have <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/uber-and-lyft-suspend-shared-rides-due-to-covid-19-stocks-decline-despite-rebound-2020-03-17" id="26483482-fbde-3843-aa44-5ccd5635e094">  suspended ride pools </a> , but where available, individuals can still use these services on their own as long as the travel is for essential purposes.</p>

<h1>  Is it OK to have other children over for a playdate?  </h1>

<p>This practice is strongly discouraged and not in keeping with the dictate to stay 6 feet away from people who do not reside with you.</p>

<p>If you are alone and on an outdoor court, this practice would be OK, as long as you stay 6 feet away from anyone around you. Keep in mind that studies are now indicating that the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-lives-for-hours-in-air-particles-and-days-on-surfaces-new-us-study-shows.html" id="f9959724-3fe5-3265-a1c9-f6a9cd4de116">  virus survives on smooth surfaces </a> , including some metals, for days.</p>

<p>Your job has to be something defined as essential, which includes but is not limited to public works, emergency services, and essential businesses such as grocery and convenience stores, banks, hardware stores, and restaurants providing delivery or takeout. </p>

<h1>  Is it OK to keep my appointment for my annual physical?  </h1>

<p>Most clinicians are canceling non-crucial appointments and elective procedures. </p>

<p>Stay inside and away from public places as much as you can. If you do go to the store or elsewhere on an essential errand, remember the key phrase, 6 feet apart, and the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html" id="64e97a93-5bf8-35ee-a7da-ac8c658398e4">  key behaviors </a> : dont touch your face, cough into a sleeve or disposable tissue, and <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a23780788/how-to-wash-hands/" id="7f28cfc8-aefa-3998-a309-1f4ef333c4b0">  wash your hands </a> with soap, taking at least 20 seconds to do so. In a pinch, hand sanitizer can be a substitute, but nothing beats hand washing.</p>

Shelter-in-place orders are spreading along with the novel coronavirus through urban counties in the United States, including all of the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-to-shelter-in-place-What-you-need-15135087.php" id="6a63dd1a-4231-3ee9-a851-05453690ec65">  San Francisco Bay Area </a> , and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-shelter-in-place.html" id="263c9ed5-1a1b-344f-aff9-fbbd3e896e98">  pending in New York City </a> . Unde...

What 'Shelter in Place' Actually Means

<p>The lab in this hopeful scenario is the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan. According to a university news release, research teams there have <a href="https://news.usask.ca/articles/research/2020/vido-intervac-team-tackles-coronavirus-researchers-developing-prototype-vaccines-at-usask.php" id="fec7266f-87de-3c21-a232-b882d5727d2d">  coaxed the virus to grow in cells </a> and have moved on to testing a new vaccine in animals. The researchers say that they hope for hints by April of whether or not the vaccine might work.</p>

<p>In fact, Volker Gerdts, CEO and director of VIDO-InterVac, told Narcity that he is positive that the vaccine will work. </p>

<p>That tone of hopefulness is likely what grabbed the attention of redditors. But Paul Offit, professor of pediatrics at Childrens Hospital Philadelphia and developer of a rotavirus vaccine, offers a sobering note. </p>

<p>Theres a long way from animal model testing to testing in humans, he says. If youre going to make a vaccine right, make sure its safe and effective, you need to proceed slowly. </p>

<h1> Why vaccines are tough to make </h1>

<p>Offit notes that the people at most risk from COVID-19 disease are older or may have existing vulnerabilities. So you have to make sure that you hold it to a very high standard of safety, he says. </p>

<p>If a vaccine is developed, says Offit, theres another reason to hold it to a high safety standard: many people who might be vaccinated would have had only mild disease with the new coronavirus. They will add to benefit from the herd, he says, referencing the critical mass of immune people who can protect others who are vulnerable. But that effect, he adds, is why you have to make sure that they are not taking an unnecessary risk to benefit the herd. </p>

<p>So any expectations of a near-future vaccine against the novel coronavirus might be a little premature, and were still facing a bit of a haul. The University of Saskatchewan says it could take 6 months after their team confirms effectiveness in animals to roll out a candidate for testing people. Months after that, if a vaccine passes clinical trials, it might become available for public use.</p>

<h1> What goes into vaccine testing </h1>

<p>The first hurdle will be finding the right animal for testing. The animal must contract the virus and show signs of disease similar to those that people develop. Options on the table include mice, hamsters, and <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6635607/ferrets-a-saskatoon-lab-and-the-leading-edge-of-the-race-for-a-coronavirus-vaccine/" id="968b7d09-d49f-3990-a1fd-87bbdcd43003">  ferrets </a> . The Saskatchewan researchers are leaning ferret on this one, given previous experience with other coronaviruses.</p>

<p>None of this work is being done in a vacuum. The Saskatchewan team is working with other teams from all over Canada and globally, with plans to share useful materials with other research groups working on a vaccine. </p>

The Good and Bad News about a Coronavirus Vaccine

Perhaps youre one of the hundreds of thousands of people turning to the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-reddit-live-updates-news-subreddit-covid-1490536" id="bf4f2db8-ba42-3c8a-a7c6-130f29e760ca">  fastest-growing subreddit </a> in the last weeks, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/t/coronavirus/" id="65a9e88d-b5b7-3730-a415-cc350b32abf2">  r/coronavirus </a> , where new and veteran Reddit users are going for the latest on the novel coronavirus outbreak. Currently topping the list ...

The Good—and Bad—News About a Coronavirus Vaccine

<p>This difference between men and women in the expanding COVID-19 epidemic isnt confined to one couple. Along with posing increasing threat with age and some co-existing conditions, it may hit men slightly harder than women. Why, though, is a mystery that scientists are trying to pin down. </p>

<p>The first hints at this male-biased effect emerged in studies from China. One report describing early cases said that 106 men <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2002032" id="12543fad-e7db-3e9e-ab75-7649b59175ba">  were diagnosed with COVID-19 </a> for every 100 women. In another study from China of <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30211-7/fulltext" id="ee8997e8-fa11-398e-a930-1e0a0fe89ade">  99 patients with COVID-19 </a> who were hospitalized with pneumonia, 67 were men. Men in China also <a href="http://weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/id/e53946e2-c6c4-41e9-9a9b-fea8db1a8f51" id="864bd817-76eb-341a-a64a-33d82af48ce9">  have been dying at greater rates </a> than women, at 2.8 percent compared to 1.7 percent among women.</p>

<p>The imbalance crops up elsewhere, too. In an analysis of <a href="https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/explainer-are-men-really-more-vulnerable-women-covid-19-experts-weigh" id="01e235f9-ed2e-3b13-a0c4-8b69f5e3e911">  patients testing positive in Singapore </a> , 41 were men and 26 were women. In Italy, the skew is even more stark, with men making up three of every four diagnosed cases.</p>

<p>This coronavirus is not alone in hitting men harder than women. In the <a href="http://www.annals.edu.sg/pdf/35VolNo5200606/V35N5p326.pdf" id="41a4f8aa-ffdb-3ead-ae38-b4a13279a438">  2003 outbreak of SARS </a> , COVID-19s cousin in infectious disease, being male was linked to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/159/3/229/79939" id="ce123725-715a-3662-a858-4b416e51511a">  more severe disease </a> . Men were more likely than women to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4149400/" id="fd954485-3aef-3d88-a71d-2f93ff34b8ad">  die in that earlier outbreak </a> , too.</p>

<p>Although some people like to joke about men complaining more than women about the same disease, research suggests that more serious factors are in play. Eng Eong Ooi, deputy director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Program at Singapore's Duke-NUS Medical School, says that although we dont know why men seem to have greater risk for COVID-19, several explanations are plausible. </p>

<p>One possibility, he says, is that differences in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90" id="5b7923a8-6536-3407-a57a-dd8d11595e07">  hormone levels between men and women </a> could underlie some of this bias. These differences can affect how men and women respond to infectious disease, vaccination, and cancer.</p>

<p>For example, says Ooi, hormones present in greater concentrations in women may suppress levels of the protein that lets the novel coronavirus into our cells. </p>

<p>Other possible explanations, researchers have suggested, include average differences in how men and women spend their days. Men in China, for example, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6479634/" id="e98b65b1-21d3-383d-a34d-928dc3c58764">  smoke more than do women </a> , which might make them more vulnerable to COVID-19 disease.</p>

<p>Some studies also point to a role for activities that skew toward one sex or the other, clustering them together on a regular basis, allowing for disease spread. Finally, women lag behind men in some of the other risk factors for more severe COVID-19, including cardiovascular disease. </p>

<p>Pinning down relevant factors will take more research and more time, says Ooi. Meanwhile, he says, the prevention measures remain the same: good hand hygiene.</p>

<p>That takes us to another factor that could be in play. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that even though everyone knows to <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a23780788/how-to-wash-hands/" id="7e355b37-7fa4-3c36-ac36-2168584d889b">  wash hands after using a public bathroom </a> , only 65 percent of women do so and an even more scandalous 31 percent of men do.</p>

Why Men Are Hit Harder by the New Coronavirus

Radio station owner Carl Goldman has been in quarantine since February 3, a slog that began with confinement on the now-infamous Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Ultimately, Goldman, age 67, was diagnosed with COVID-19 and has since whiled away days in various medical settings, isolated from his wife, Jeri. Despite being with her husband until he began to show symptoms, however, Jeri <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tests-doctors-hazmat-suits-lots-gatorade-report-inside-cor...

<p>More coronavirus test kits are now to be made available, and while widespread testing will be helpful in many ways, not everyone will be an obvious candidate for testing right now. </p>

<h1>  Fixing the national coronavirus testing shortage  </h1>

<p>The low number of people tested as of this writing wasn't only because of a test kit shortage but also because of the high bar patients had to clear to get tested. Some people with symptoms of COVID-19 haven't been tested because they hadn't traveled to specific countries or been around someone who had.</p>

<p>The self-imposed barriers creating a national testing shortage began ease up when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-issues-new-policy-help-expedite-availability-diagnostics" id="14294b0d-6df2-3d0b-a969-e639dd98039c">  academic and hospital labs could develop their own tests </a> , which could greatly expand the countrys testing capacity. In addition, the CDC has addressed problems with its test that led to crucial failures. The CDC opted to develop its own tests <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/united-states-badly-bungled-coronavirus-testing-things-may-soon-improve" id="ac5ddea1-cc21-3a7c-a28a-81d04d7c238c">  rather than use kits offered by the World Health Organization </a> .</p>

<p>By the end of the week, public health labs will be able to test about 75,000 people in total, says Kristen Nordlund, spokesperson for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). </p>

<p>In addition, Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that 2500 diagnostic kits could be ready to go by the end of the week. Experts suggest it may take longer than that. Although that number of kits might not sound like a lot, they each allow for a few hundred tests and should cover testing of more than a million people. How long it really will take for these additional kits to be produced and implemented is not clear.</p>

<p><strong> When will additional coronavirus test kits be available? </strong></p>

<p>Ramping up the test kit distribution that Pence pledged could still take weeks, Swartzberg says. What Pence is talking about is something that is certainly not available today and there is absolutely no hint that it is going to be available tomorrow or any time soon, he says. I will be very surprised if anything approaching what hes suggesting will be available within the next one or two weeks, and it could be longer. </p>

<p>In the meantime, Swartzberg says, local county health departments and emergency room clinicians are starved for the ability to test. Under the new FDA policy, university medical centers can feed that need while health departments await their kits. Two San Francisco-area hospitals have already announced their own <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/03/coronavirus-how-to-find-hidden-infections-stanford-and-uc-fast-track-new-tests/" id="874a89ff-d8ae-3115-a8a8-9bdfa0157543">  on-site coronavirus testing with rapid results turnaround </a> .</p>

<p>Pence mentioned in his comments that any American can get tested now with a doctors order. The CDC initially required some association with travel to China, either personally or with a personal contact. The CDC has <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-criteria.html" id="c5f3fc23-9125-3a89-a17e-27314257cfde">  now expanded the criteria </a> , and doctors can use their judgment about testing, based on symptoms and their severity.</p>

<p>That expansion may be crucial now that COVID-19 is likely spreading among people without known travel-related contact. Schwartzberg describes the plight of one patient and their doctor in the San Francisco area: the patients chest scans showed signs typical of COVID-19, and the doctor strongly suspected coronavirus. But before the CDC expanded testing criteria, the doctor couldnt have the patient tested because there were no known travel-related contacts. In the meantime, the patient had to be isolated in costly hospital isolation rooms, a potentially wasteful use of scarce resources in the absence of a confirmed diagnosis, says Swartzberg. </p>

<h1>  Why testing is important, and why not everyone is getting it  </h1>

<p>Widespread testing is important, Swartzberg says, because it can give a better a number for mortality rates. The current estimate, he says, calculated from known deaths and known cases, would be lower if testing could identify milder cases more readily. I am sure it is going to be far lower than the 3.4 percent reported, he says, but without testing, we are not going to know. </p>

<p>If you have mild symptoms, stay home and self-isolate, Swartzberg says. (See the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-home-care.html" id="4d7fcb4e-d433-3de8-a883-5a9701bb92ee">  CDCs guidance on isolating at home </a> .) Ideally, those patients should be tested, and when we have more tests, we should include them. Until that happens, the last thing we need is people flocking to the ER asking to be tested. If your doctor sends you for a test and the test is positive, keep in mind that <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a31210393/coronavirus-treatment/" id="74a1ba3a-5ae0-3246-a87c-6d0d7f6e1040">  doctors can only treat symptoms </a> and in severe cases, manage any respiratory distress and co-infections.</p>

<h1>  How they test for coronavirus  </h1>

<p>Testing involves a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/lab/guidelines-clinical-specimens.html" id="f29f5e13-279c-3268-a9e6-2d36f7354890">  swab of the nose and throat </a> . If the patient is coughing up material from the lungs, that can be sampled, too. The collected material will undergo analysis in either a public health lab, which will use <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/tool-virus-requests.html" id="80d3568c-2893-3688-aa75-b7d707813cd2">  CDC-developed testing </a> , or eventually in academic or hospital labs that are using their own tests. A result is considered positive if the sample contains evidence of the viruss genetic material.</p>

<h1>  What will coronavirus testing cost?  </h1>

<p>Pence described the testing as an essential health benefit, which is policy speak that means it should be covered by health insurance and federal insurance plans. </p>

<p>In the meantime, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for $8.3 billion in federal funding for prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The Senate is expected to approve the funding, with Trump expected sign off on it on Friday. </p>

<p>At this writing, the total number of global cases had topped 96,000. Of those, 164 have been identified in the United States, with 11 deaths.</p>

Who Needs a Coronavirus Test and How to Get One

Adding to the unease about the new coronavirus and COVID-19 is the bumpy and stalled U.S. rollout of testing for the virus. People are just clamoring for these tests, says John Swartzberg, M.D., a clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccinology in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program.

<p>In an early morning tweet on March 1, President Donald Trump hinted at an <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1234109126864707585" id="e4d1a1ef-5477-3707-a2fd-3d561e4a011a">  airport screening expansion </a> to include arrivals from Italy and South Korea, advising that travelers on flights from certain designated high risk countries, or areas within those countries will also be screened when they arrive in America.</p>

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Coronavirus: In addition to screening travelers “prior to boarding” from certain designated high risk countries, or areas within those countries, they will also be screened when they arrive in America. Thank you! <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SecAzar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecAzar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCDirector?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCDirector</a></p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1234109126864707585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</div>

<p>Coronavirus: In addition to screening travelers prior to boarding from certain designated high risk countries, or areas within those countries, they will also be screened when they arrive in America. Thank you! <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="dcacb46d-64c9-3b3b-ab6d-562b5428566f">  @VP </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SecAzar?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="ba4d3286-5649-332c-a662-89ec07626810">  @SecAzar </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="44abc435-c58f-32e2-afd2-ef603c3b36e1">  @CDCgov </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCDirector?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="b9953fde-74bf-36f4-acf2-21bd684f613d">  @CDCDirector </a>  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)   </p>

<p>Trump did not specify which countries or high-risk areas, but Katie Miller, a spokesperson for Vice President Mike Pence, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-01-20-intl-hnk/h_fab395d1124a912300906c4f3b4d7401" id="1b1f7354-8dab-3968-af35-5dc32f52a60d">  told CNN </a> that the existing screening for people arriving from China after more than 14 days in that country will be expanded to Italy and South Korea. Miller also mentioned that exit screening, or taking temperatures when passengers board a plane for departure, was also in play for these two countries.</p>

<p>In a news conference on Monday afternoon, Pence clarified the current screening plans for travelers from Italy and South Korea. </p>

<p>Despite the initial allusion to screening when travelers arrive in America, Pence spelled out an exit screening plan in the conference. He explained that there would be multiple screenings at all airports in Italy and South Korea for travelers departing on direct flights to the United States. Both countries are expected to have complete exit screening coverage in place within the next 12 hours, he said.</p>

<p>With regard to international travel, we will continue to monitor cases and determine whether additional travel advisories or restrictions are warranted, said Pence.</p>

<p>Currently, advisories covering <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/coronavirus-italy" id="1611484d-b0ef-34bb-af6b-5878e1e76721">  Italy </a> and <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/coronavirus-south-korea" id="c59812cb-2175-36f6-affa-046116438c09">  South Korea </a> (as well as China) have leveled out at avoid nonessential travel on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.</p>

<p>Sean Ludwig, a <a href="https://www.nycbbq.com/" id="47b44a3f-6bae-3cb5-af34-79ae4987bd22">  Brooklyn freelance writer </a> who returned from a family trip to Italy via Rome on the afternoon of March 1, was surprised to find no Italy-specific screenings or questions on either end of his flight, including arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Milan, Italy, is a region of rapidly expanding case numbers of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.</p>

<p>When we went through the airport, we did expect we would hear additional questions, maybe (they would) give us a pamphlet, he says. Instead, his group had to respond to a single question at departure in Rome and on arrival at JFK: Had they traveled recently in China? They had not, says Ludwig, so they were waved on through in both instances. </p>

<p>They did not ask about Iran, he told Men's Health, and asking someone coming in from Rome if they had been to Milan in the past 14 days seems like it would have been a perfect question. In response to social media queries about screenings, the JFK Airport account tweeted, We are providing all necessary support for the screening being carried out by @CDCgov &amp; @CBP of passengers who may have been exposed to the new coronavirus. </p>

<p>Out of an abundance of caution, Ludwig says that he is self-quarantining, based on information he read on the CDCs <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html" id="727997cd-2dee-3f89-a69a-2128135dd2b8">  COVID-19 website </a> .</p>

<h1>  What screenings for the coronavirus illness consist of  </h1>

<p>The CDCs Kristen Nordlund pointed to information on the agencys website for details about what travelers <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/from-china.html" id="8592b6fb-5a80-37ac-ac8f-5e6a859dc817">  can expect in U.S.-based airport screenings </a> , should they eventually encounter them.</p>

<p>Screening staff will query travelers about their health and where theyve been during their trip. Arriving passengers also are assessed for fever with a non-contact thermometer and for cough and difficulty breathing. For travelers with these symptoms, the CDC site says that its staff will evaluate these cases and transfer them to a medical facility. Those who screen negative for symptoms may still face 14 days <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantine-stations-us.html" id="fe7247f4-664e-382f-ad4c-d67af83f5578">  under quarantine </a> , as Ludwig chose to do on his own. The site warns, You may not be able to complete your travel itinerary.</p>

<p>Currently, screening people at U.S. airports only applies to travelers from China. Arrivals fall into different categories: </p>

<ul><li>  Foreign nationals who were in China in the preceding 14 days cannot enter the United States.  </li></ul>

<ul><li>  Travelers who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and their families who were in China in the previous 14 days will be screened on arrival in the United States at major U.S. airports. Their health on arrival and their travel history, as determined by CDC and other federal staff at customs, will dictate their post-screening fate. </li></ul>

<p>People concerned about screening should also be aware that some itineraries may never get off the ground in the first place. A host of airlines, including Delta, have reduced or altogether suspended flights from Italy and South Korea, with the reduced or suspended schedules stretching as <a href="https://news.delta.com/delta-temporarily-suspends-milan-service" id="c2f187aa-6999-3498-ac38-7db16cf70ff3">  far out as May 1 </a> .</p>

<p>More than 90,000 people worldwide have become ill during this coronavirus outbreak, with more than 3000 deaths, the vast majority of them in China. Cases have been confirmed in at least 59 countries, with U.S. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html" id="f2133373-588f-3ddf-a70a-c11d4c2c16f6">  advisories against nonessential travel </a> to China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea. In the United States, <a href="https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/department-health-confirms-first-coronavirus-death-washington-state/XIDPHMLVOJAAREQ5YCL75367PU/" id="f423810a-73f1-3710-a8d8-818b335da60d">  six deaths have been reported in Washington state </a> .</p>

What to Expect in a Coronavirus Airport Screening

As the number of COVID-19 cases increases worldwide, travelers are on high alert about airport screenings and flight cancellations caused by this disruptive coronavirus. Passengers monitoring U.S. policies on Italy and South Korea in the past few days may have been more confused than informed as reports trickled out. Uncertainty about what to expect has left some returnees from these hotspots taking matters into their own hands.

Here's What to Expect in an Airport Screening for Coronavirus

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