At Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care, we are watching the news about coronavirus as closely as you are, and we are here to answer as many questions as possible of this little known “new” virus.
Human coronaviruses are very common throughout the world. In fact, they are not entirely new, as scientists have known of seven different coronavirus strains before the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or Wuhan Coronavirus that has recently invaded our news and social media headlines. As of today, there are only five confirmed cases in the United States, none of which are in Texas, but we know this number may rise.
What we know so far is that China has been hit the hardest, with close to 5,000 cases. This is the reason the Center of Disease Control (CDC) has placed an alert for travel to and from China. While this number may sound alarming, we should remember that China’s population is 1.4 billion people. So relatively speaking, not many people have become sick. In comparison, roughly 200,000 people diagnosed in the U.S. with influenza (the flu) are hospitalized each year, of which about 35,000 people lose their life. This is why we always encourage you to vaccinate your children. Even if it is not 100% effective, it is better to have some protection than no protection at all!
The Wuhan Coronavirus is similar to influenza in many ways. It is spread person to person via coughs and sneezes. Most people have milder symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath. In very few cases, it can lead to severe disease and death. It can be prevented by proper hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfecting object and surfaces. Most cases can be treated with bed rest and hydration. At this time, hospitals and clinics in the U.S. do not have readily available specific testing or medication for any coronavirus but are aware to contact infection control and public health officials for guidance. However, this is a group effort! If you have signs and symptoms and have been in contact with someone that recently came back from a trip from China, call the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District at 210.207.9713 for further instructions.
Last but not least…Do not panic! Coronavirus may want to take the “Crown” in popularity, but influenza is still the King of all viruses. Nonetheless, we will continue to monitor the events. Stay safe!
Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care is a walk-in pediatric urgent care open seven days a week. We have 11 locations in San Antonio and one in Dallas. Our Potranco clinic, located at 14249 Potranco Road, will open February 2020. For more information, please email us at info@littlespurs.com. We welcome walk-ins, accept most insurance plans and are proud to be accredited by the Urgent Care Association!
