The Clallam County Health Officer Allison Berry Unthank issued a statement late today regarding the new Coronavirus that’s been in the news so much.

She says that while the situation in China is quite serious and public health professionals are monitoring the situation closely, the risk to the general public in the United States remains very low.

There are currently 6 known cases of the virus in the United States, with 1 in Washington State. The Washington State case is isolated in Snohomish County and any contacts of that person are being closely monitored by the state department of health.

To date, there is no known person-to-person transmission of coronavirus in the Western United States. There are no known or suspected cases in Clallam County.

Unthank says Novel coronavirus causes symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, and fever, which can look a lot like other viruses. The important difference is that we are only seeing cases of coronavirus in people who have recently traveled from Hubei Province, China or who are close contact with those known to be infected.

She points out that coronaviruses generally are much less contagious than some other viruses like measles. They require prolonged contact with an infected person in order to be transmitted.

Unthank says “As it stands, the population in Clallam County is much more likely to be affected by influenza than by coronavirus. The same measures that protect you from influenza can protect you from coronavirus, namely: washing your hands, covering coughs and staying home if you are sick.”