CHEYENNE (WNE) — As the coronavirus spreads in China and the United States, there have been no reported cases of the virus in Wyoming as of Monday morning.
But officials with the state Department of Health say they are closely monitoring the situation as it develops.
“We have communicated the latest information regarding patient care, infection control and testing procedures with health care providers across Wyoming and will continue to share updates as needed,” state epidemiologist Alexia Harrist said in a prepared statement. “This is clearly a quickly growing and changing situation.”
At least 106 deaths and more than a thousand cases of the virus have been reported in China, and five cases have been detected in the United States as of Monday morning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The virus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, is believed to have initially been spread through animal and seafood markets, but person-to-person spread of the virus has occurred, according to the CDC.
“More cases are likely to be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States,” the CDC stated on its website. “It would not be surprising if person-to-person spread in the United States were to occur.”
While there are a few different offshoots of the coronavirus, the main symptoms – fever, cough and shortness of breath – have emerged in as few as two days or as long as 14 after exposure.