Health

VI Dept. Of Health Says It's Monitoring Coronavirus Closely as at Least 80 People Have Died in China From the Disease

The Virgin Islands Department of Health said Monday night that it has been monitoring the latest outbreak of coronavirus since initial reports of the respiratory illness was first identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The department said it is taking necessary steps to protect Virgin Islands residents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese authorities identified the new coronavirus, which has resulted in more than a thousand confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City. Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the mainland United States. Human coronaviruses are common throughout the world. Seven different coronaviruses, that scientists know of, can infect people and cause illness. Human coronaviruses commonly cause mild to moderate illness in people worldwide, however, two newer human coronaviruses, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, have been known to frequently cause severe ill...