Dr. Charles Simms, the infectious disease medical director at St. Luke’s Hospital, spoke at a Feb. 20 meeting to brief the board of directors on the new coronavirus now that cases are appearing in the United States.

According to Simms, the virus named COVID-19 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention had a total of 71,429 cases globally as of Feb. 17. Despite the high number of cases, Simms said the virus has a low mortality rate, at around 2.5%.

The virus is spread by person-to-person contact through droplets, largely from coughing and sneezing, he said.

"It can be expressed about three feet by coughing and sneezing," Simms said. "The recommendation from the CDC is to use airborne precautions."

Symptoms for the new coronavirus are similar to the common cold, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, Simms said. To prevent the spread of the virus, patients should wear a mask when not in isolation and practice good hand washing, he said.


"Treatments for right now are symptomatic," Simms said. "There are no treatments for many viruses, so they are [using] analgesics and antipyretics in mild cases and fluid, oxygen and mechanical ventilation in serious cases."

Simms also said he wanted to dispel misconceptions regarding the virus, which include the notions that there is a vaccine available for the new coronavirus and that the virus can be passed through Chinese products, food and people. None of those statements are true, he said.

In the event of a pandemic, Simms said Montgomery County has response procedures set in place with area hospitals.

The board of directors released a list of resources for residents to continue reading up on the virus if they so desire, which are as follows.