US Will Test People With Flu Symptoms For Novel Coronavirus

The US will begin testing people identified by local health authorities as having flu-like symptoms for the novel coronavirus, a senior official said Friday, a significant expansion of the government's response to the epidemic

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Feb, 2020 ) :The US will begin testing people identified by local health authorities as having flu-like symptoms for the novel coronavirus, a senior official said Friday, a significant expansion of the government's response to the epidemic.

"CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has begun working with five public health labs across the US to tap into their ability to conduct community based influenza surveillance, so that we can begin testing people with flu-like symptoms for novel coronavirus," said Nancy Messonnier, a senior CDC official.

The testing will initially be carried out by labs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and New York, but more sites are planned.