Alabama health officials say the State has two hundred and forty two (updated) confirmed cases of Coronavirus. Governor Kay Ivey is asking the Alabama National Guard be ready to be called up on "as needed" basis. This order includes one hundred troops. The Guard would step, Ivey says, if healthcare providers or first responders need support.
Dr. Jeanne Mazzarro is an expert on infectious diseases at UAB She says symptoms of the coronavirus, like fever, body aches, and nausea, mimic other forms of the flu. She says the big concern is for patients who have other illnesses that can put them at risk if they contract Coronavirus.
“If you have any other illnesses, particularly diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, HIV, and you’re immune depressed, you are at higher risk of developing severe disease from this virus,” she says.
However. Dr. Marrazzo says eighty percent of people who contract Coronavirus, even in China, experience only mild symptoms that don’t require hospitalization.
