Washington: The US has recorded its second corona virus death, even as states on both coasts are reporting new infections leading to a significant jump in the total number of cases to 88.
Sample this: On Friday, there were 65 cases and no known deaths in the United States. Less than 48 hours later, a single hospital in Washington State has reported two deaths, reports New York Times.
Florida has declared a public health emergency, even as Vice President Mike Pence is trying to reach out and calm the public’s nerves, the newspaper said.
Health officials across the United States were in a scramble to trace all those who had come into contact with the infected patients, even as they struggled to get a handle on how far the virus had spread in the country. Meanwhile, global infections have touched 90,000.
A genetic analysis of the virus in Washington State, where the deaths occurred, suggests that the illness could have been spreading within the community for as long as six weeks before the first case was detected.
UK BATTLE-READY: The British government is bracing for the virus to spread further and faster after the number of cases hit 40, up four since Sunday. Boris Johnson has taken personal charge of the response by chairing a Cobra emergency committee.
