At the height of the outbreak, the U.S. restricted international travelers coming into the country to a small number of specific airports. This was an attempt to provide better screening and tracking of individuals arriving from outside of the U.S. The goals was to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The prior restrictions limited arrivals to fifteen airports in the U.S. This applied to anyone traveling in from China, Iran, England, Ireland, Brazil and the Schengen region of Europe.

The government is now lifting that restriction on international travelers.

For some, this may sound pre-mature as COVID-19 is certainly still an issue. The change does not mean that the government is not concern about the spread of the virus. It means that they have had time to learn more about screening and monitoring. Now, they are simply implementing a more appropriate strategy.

The focus of and methods of international travel restrictions is changing, not being eliminated.

In a press release the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wrote, “We now have a better understanding of COVID-19 transmission that indicates symptom-based screening has limited effectiveness because people with COVID-19 may have no symptoms or fever at the time of screening, or only mild symptoms.”

“Transmission of the virus may occur from passengers who have no symptoms or who have not yet developed symptoms of infection. Therefore, CDC is shifting its strategy and prioritizing other public health measures to reduce the risk of travel-related disease transmission.”

According to the agency, the new approach will be one that is more individual focused. It will also include educating the passengers and working with airports and airlines to control procedures to try to minimize lines and crowds.

The focus will also narrow in on travel from countries when spikes of the virus become prevalent.

The goal of the government remains protecting the health of the American people. It believes that this new approach is the more effective way of doing that.

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Recent data has been released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that African-Americans have been hospitalized at a higher rate than any other racial group. According to the report, Black Americans are about 4.7 times as likely as non-Hispanic white Americans to be hospitalized due to this pandemic.

However, the CDC has pointed out some of the factors that are contributing to this situation. The major reason behind the higher rate of COVID-19 cases among Black people is that they live in highly dense populated areas.

Black people have several other health problems that increase the risk of their being affected while they also have inadequate health sources.

 There are some social determinants of health that analyze why Black Americans are more affected by COVID-19.

According to the National Center for Health Sciences, the obesity rate among African-Americans is much higher than the other social groups. Whereas, Dr. Deidra Candice Crews says there are several societal factors that accord the obesity rate among Black Americans.

Meanwhile, the higher obesity rate and other chronic diseases are not the only reasons for the higher rate of COVID-19 cases among Black Americans. Another reason that incorporates is that Black Americans mostly live in densely populated areas where it is nearly impossible to practice social distancing.

CDC reports that there are healthcare disparities along racial and ethnic lines in American society. These gaps in the healthcare system contribute towards the limited healthcare sources for Black Americans. All the factors are connected with structural inequality, racism, and segregation that had affected the lives of Black Americans for many decades.

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All prior confirmed US cases had been linked with visits to Wuhan, China, where the virus originated in December 2019. However, this latest patient from Illinois had not been to Wuhan but lived with a 2019-nCov patient diagnosed earlier. They were located through contact tracing and both patients are now in stable condition.

This is a wake-up call for the CDC, who now realize the grave danger this virus could pose to citizens. As a way to curtail further spread, they have been working closely with local and state partners to locate close contacts of confirmed 2019-nCov patients.

As CDC Director, Robert R. Redfield, M.D, commented, “Given what we’ve seen in China and other countries with the novel coronavirus, CDC experts have expected some person-to-person spread in the US. We understand this may be concerning, but based on what we know now, we still believe the immediate risk to the American public is low”.

In other countries, imported cases of 2019-nCov from infected travelers have been observed to spread to close contacts. However, it is still uncertain how person-to-person spread will unfold in the coming weeks.

Two other types of coronavirus – MERS, and SARS – can cause person-to-person spread. However, only those in close contact, like health workers or family members of an infected person are at greatest risk. That is why the CDC has been putting proactive measures in place to manage the spread of this virus.

On January 8, they alerted clinicians to report patients with respiratory illness and recent travel to Wuhan. Moreover, CDC has helped clinicians develop guidance for the testing and management of the virus, as well as procedures for the hospitalization of infected patients.

Since this first case was identified, CDC has been collaborating with local partners and Illinois health officers to investigate the extent of the spread.

As we progress into the coming weeks, new cases will likely arise, including person-to-person spread. The best approach to avoid contracting the virus is to prevent exposure. That is why CDC will keep informing the public on ways to remain safe.

Since the spread of 2019-nCov is still very limited in the US, CDC deems it as low risk to the general public. However, the risk of infection significantly skyrockets for people in close contact with infected patients. These people should follow CDC’s guideline that outlines the precautions to prevent the spread among families and local communities. However, other members of the public have little to fear at the moment, and only simply daily precautions are suggested.

CDC suggests getting vaccinated since we are in flu season and also practicing proper hygiene to prevent transferring germs. Most importantly, CDC recommends the cancellation of all non-essential trips to China.

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