O’Hare International Airport is now part of the global medical response to a mystery virus that has infected hundreds of people in China. Anyone flying to the United States from Wuhan, the origin point of the illness, will be routed through one of five airports, including O’Hare, for a health screening.
There are two ways for governments and individuals to react to the spread of a deadly new respiratory virus: Take it seriously or take your chances. The Wuhan coronavirus can be deadly, having killed at least 18 people. Cases have been identified in China, Hong Kong and several other countries, including the United States.
The risk exists that any such respiratory virus, if not contained, may spread aggressively. The great fear is pandemic, an uncontrolled eruption of cases that could sicken thousands, or millions. The influenza pandemic of 1918, which began as a strain of bird flu, killed an estimated 675,000 Americans and 50 million people worldwide.
The 21st century is a new era of viral concern and response, in which serious communicable diseases can spread globally due partly to the ease of air travel. Ebola and bird flu outbreaks were dangerous, especially the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-16. The closest comparison to the Wuhan coronavirus is the SARS epidemic of 2003, which also originated in China. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is believed to be an animal virus that was transmitted to humans mainly through civet cats, a Chinese delicacy sold to restaurants at exotic animal markets in southern China.
The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak apparently originated in December in a seafood and meat market in Wuhan. Viruses can mutate, allowing them to jump from animals to humans. It’s the strains that can transmit from human to human that present unknown dangers. The World Health Organization confirms human-to-human transmission of this virus is occurring.
The lesson from SARS is that quick, coordinated action is critical. China failed that test at the outset of SARS. The Communist government’s initial instinct was to cover-up news of the illness, which aided the spread. Eventually, China got serious: It ordered lockdowns of villages to help eradicate the virus. Overall SARS infected about 8,000 people worldwide, killing about 775.
The coronavirus is gaining strength at a vulnerable time: Chinese New Year, the season in which hundreds of millions of people travel to their hometowns to celebrate. The Chinese government appears to be ramping up its response: It ordered a virtual lockdown of metropolitan Wuhan, home to 20 million people.
Metropolitan Chicago’s population is roughly half that size, more than 9 million.
Imagine the mayor and governor closing O’Hare and Midway, blocking expressways, shutting down the CTA and Metra and telling Chicagoans they can only leave the city with special permission.
Maybe China will be able to stanch the spread. But as experts warn, Wuhan coronavirus is already on the run internationally. Health officials will need to stay alert.
So should everyone else. Routine hand-washing is a good practice. If you feel sick, get appropriate care — and stay home. Even if you don’t think you have Wuhan coronavirus, every cold and flu is potentially contagious.
— Chicago Tribune