There are at least 15 confirmed cases in the United States of COVID-19, the disease caused by a contagious coronavirus, including one in San Antonio.
The respiratory illness identified as a novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, was first detected in December 2019. Since then, at least 60,000 cases of the pneumonia-like illness have been confirmed worldwide.
Concerns about its spread have stifled world travel and trade, and no antiviral medicine exists yet to specifically treat this novel coronavirus or COVID-19.
What is the latest information about this virus around the world and in San Antonio? Will COVID-19 be labeled as a global pandemic? How close are scientists to understanding how it spreads and finding a successful treatment plan?
What are the symptoms of coronavirus and how does the quarantine process work for suspected cases? What facts do you need to know about COVID-19 and which virus-related myths should be busted?
Guests:
- Bonnie Petrie, bioscience and medicine reporter for Texas Public Radio
- Jean Patterson,Ph.D., scientist at Texas Biomedical Research Institute
- Dawn Emerick, Ed.D., director of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District
- Anita Kurian, MBBS, MPH, DrPH, assistant director Communicable Disease Division at San Antonio Metropolitan Health District
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 210-614-8980, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Thursday, February 20.
