Ohio Health Officials Classify Coronavirus As 'Class A' Virus

COLUMBUS, OH — As members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitor 63 possible cases of the potentially deadly Wuhan coronavirus, the Ohio Department of Health have classified the virus as a "Class A" risk.

Class A viruses must be immediately reported to state health officials. There are currently two confirmed U.S. cases of coronavirus. Any suspected cases in Ohio would need to be immediately reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Dr. Amy Acton, the director of ODH, said the Class A clarification is a proactive step to ensure all suspected cases are reported to health officials.

“This situation is at the heart of public health,” said Acton in a statement. “We are working proactively with healthcare providers and local health districts/partners to identify and appropriately address emerging threats like novel Coronavirus.”

No cases have yet been reported in Ohio. The CDC classifies coronavirus as a low risk to the American public.

What is Coronavirus?

The Wuhan coronavirus is part of a large family of viruses, according to the ODH. Coronaviruses can either infect humans or animals, and in rare cases viruses that start in animals can evolve and begin affecting humans.

Coronaviruses are responsible for illnesses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

The sicknesses can cause mild to severe respiratory problems, including coughing, shortness of breath and fever.

In December 2019, in Wuhan City, in the Hubei Province of China, Chinese authorities began dealing with a spreading sickness. As the illness raged, 25 people died and more than 830 people became ill. The illness was eventually identified as 2019-nCoV, also called the Wuhan Coronavirus.

What Is A Novel Coronavirus? Health Officials Explain

Researchers around the globe are still determining precisely how the virus spreads. Many patients in the Wuhan outbreak had visited a large seafood and animal market, but a growing number of patients have no connection. The CDC said that indicates limited person-to-person transmission is possible — but it remains unknown how easily it spreads among people. Illnesses have been confirmed outside of China in Thailand, Japan and South Korea, as well as now two cases in the United States.