(swishing)

- [Reporter] The number of cases in China

increasing to 77,000including 2,400 deaths

followed by Japan with840 cases and four deaths

then South Korea with over 830cases including seven deaths.

Also, Italy quarantining some areas

as it faces the firstmajor outbreak in Europe

reporting more than 200cases and five deaths.

And in the Middle East, Iranwith 43 cases and 12 deaths.

Infectious disease specialist

like the ClevelandClinics Doctor Frank Esper

are analyzing a new reportdetailing the first 72,000 cases.

He told CBN News, the virusspreads through droplets.

- We think that most times,people are being infected

when they are coughed nearbyin a six-foot radius or so,

or sneezed in a six-foot radius.

It aerosolizes in that small area

for a very brief amount of time.

It is not like SARS.

SARS was airborne.

Measles is airborne.

That's where the viruscan lay around in the room

for two hours waitingfor someone to inhale it.

This Coronavirus is not like that.

It is mostly you haveto be in the same room,

in the same close proximity

with another individual to be infected.

- [Reporter] EasternVirginia Medical School

Infectious Disease DoctorEdward Oldfield says

new information aboutpeople who carry the virus

make it more difficult to control.

- Now, we're finding there'ssignificant amounts of virus

in the nasal passages,in the oral pharynx,

even in the people that have no symptoms.

- [Reporter] That includes people

who've already recovered from it.

The good news, a vaccine and treatment

possibly within monthsfast-tracked because of COVID-19's

similarity to SARS, acoronavirus from 17 years ago.

- The protease inhibitor Kaletrahad activity against SARS.

They've already started a study in Wuhan.

There's another experimentaldrug called Remdesivir

and they've also starteda study with them.

- [Reporter] Experts say expectmore deadly coronaviruses

unless China deals withcrowded, unsanitary markets

where wild animals aresold and slaughtered,

the kind where both SARS and COVID-19

reportedly first transferred to humans.

Meanwhile, doctors say right now,

Americans should still bemore concerned with the flu.

- This is probably the worstflu season in a decade.

Started with Influenza B.

Right at the January 2020had started dropping down

so we thought maybe it'sgonna be a short season.

And then it came roaringback with Influenza A.

- The CDC reports 16,000flu deaths in America

so far this seasonincluding 105 children, Pat?

- While you mentionthis COVID-19 and SARS,

they both started from animals to humans.

What is it they do with thosemarkets that's so unsanitary?

- Well Pat, bats are the originator

of SARS, MERS and COVID-19according to scientists.

Bats carry about 400 coronaviruses

and because of their immune system,

they don't get sick from them.

But they do sometimes passcoronaviruses onto other animals

which are then sold at these markets.

They're called wetmarkets and wild animals

are sold to thousands of people.

Remember Pat, Wuhan is acity of 58 million people,

11 times the size of New York City,

and they're often butchering these animals

on cutting boards and thenputting other animals on them.

In other words, the virusescan spread like wildfire.

With SARS, the Chinesegovernment closed down

these wet markets butthen opened them again

after it passed.

Now with COVID-19, theChinese government shut down

the wet markets but have said that,

after this COVID-19 scare passes,

they're gonna open them again.

- Lorie, what can sciencelearn about this coronavirus

by looking at otherviruses in the same family?

- There are seven coronaviruses in humans,

four of them, Pat, are actually part

of the common cold so they're very mild.

The other three areMERS, SARS and COVID-19

which all have higher death rates

and they were all passed to humans

from bats to other animalsand then to humans.

And so there are three ofthese new coronaviruses

that are more serious than the first four.

- Somebody wants to preventgetting COVID and the flu,

what would you recommend?

- Actually, they're both transmitted

the exact same way, with droplets.

So main thing is to wash your hands

with warm soapy water for 20 seconds

and also to, when you cough or sneeze,

do it in the crook of yourarm or also into a Kleenex.

- Are you worried aboutthis stuff in America?

You think the influenza is still

a much more serious virus right?

- Well, the CDC saysthat we can expect more

so COVID-19 cases in the United States.

Our healthcare system is ready for it.

There are all kinds ofprecautions already in place

across the county in case itgets to more serious conditions

that we're seeing in some other countries.

But our healthcare system here is so good.

And a lot of experts say,

part of the problem insome of these countries,

is they weren't adequatelyprepared for it.

- Thanks Lorie.