More Than 600 Americans Infected With Coronavirus

Stephanie Stahl reports.

LIVE FROM EWING TOWNSHIP,CLEVE BRYAN FOR CWS3"EYEWITNESS NEWS".THANKS VERY MUCH.NATIONWIDE THE NUMBER OFCOVID 19 CASES HAS CLIMBED,AGAIN, 600 PEOPLE ARE NOWINFECTED, AT LEAST 26 HAVEDIED, MOST OF THE DEATHS AREIN WASHINGTON STATE.HEALTH REPORTER STEPHANIESTAHL IS HERE WITH MORE ON THEFIRST CASE IN NEW JERSEY ANDDETAILS ON HOW HEALTHOFFICIALS ARE TRYING TOCONTAIN THE SPREAD.REPORTER: LOTS GOING ONWITH THIS.U.S. SURGEON GENERAL SAYSCOMMUNITIES WILL NEED TO STARTTHINKING ABOUT CANCELING LARGEGATHERINGS, CLOSING SCHOOLSAND LETTING MORE EMPLOYEESWORK FROM HOME.NEW JERSEY PATIENT WAS WITHCOVID 19 IS SPEAKING OUT FROMINSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL AND HEIS WORRIED ABOUT HIS RECOVERY.JAMES CAI IS NEW JERSEY'SFIRST CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID19, HOSPITALIZED AT HACKENSACKUNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, HESAYS HE FEELS UNCERTAIN ABOUTHIS RECOVERY.EVERY DAY IS EVEN WORSE.REPORTER: CAI A THREETWO-YEAR OLD PHYSICIAN AS CYSTTAP WORKING AND LIVING IN BOTHMANHATTAN AND FOR THE FOR THELEE, NEW JERSEY SAID HE BECAMESICK AFTER A END TOKING AMEDICAL CONFERENCE AT A TIMESSQUARE MOTEL LAST WEEKEND.HE WENT TO AN URGENT CARECLINIC AND THEN TO THEHOSPITAL.IN PENNSYLVANIA, THE SECRETARYOF THE HEALTH SAYS THAT THEREARE NOW 10 CONFIRMED CASES INTHE STATE, SEVEN IN MONTGOMERYCOUNTY.OFFICIALS ARE TRACKINGEVERYONE THAT CAME IN CONTACTWITH THE INDIVIDUALS WHOTESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID 19.WE ARE TAKING ALLAPPROPRIATE PUBLIC HEALTHACTIONS.THIS INCLUDES WHAT WE CALLCONTACT TRACING.CONTACT TRACING MEANS THAT WEARE REACHING OUT TO ANYONE WHOCAME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITHTHESE INDIVIDUALS TO SEE IFTHEY HAVE DEVELOPED SYMPTOMSAND IF THEY NEED TO BE TESTED.WE ARE IN CONSTANTCOMMUNICATION WITH OUR COUNTY,AND MUNICIPAL HEALTHDEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATEINCLUDING MONTGOMERY COUNTY.REPORTER: IDENTIFYING ANDTEMPORARILY ISOLATING PEOPLEWHO MAY BE INFECT IS ACRITICAL PART OF THE STOPPINGTHE SPREAD.MOST PEOPLE WHO TEST POSITIVEARE ABLE TO SAFELY RECOVER ATHOME, AND NOT A TREATMENT FORCOVID 19.SOME CASES WITH CAI CAN CAUSESERIOUS LUNG PROBLEMS.IN THE CT I FINE OUT I MAYHAVE CORONA.SO, IT HAPPENED SO QUICK.REPORTER: NOW THAT CASEAPPEARS TO BE UNUSUAL, CAI ISYOUNG AND WAS HEALTHY.DOCTORS SAY THAT MOST SERIOUSCASES OF COVID 19 ARE INPEOPLE WHO ARE ELDERLY OROTHER HEALTH CONDITIONS.