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Jupiter Medical Center Announces Coronavirus Procedures

As visitors from around the country and beyond descend on South Florida this week for the Super Bowl, doctors at one local hospital are implementing new guidelines in order to screen patients for the deadly Coronavirus.

The flu-like illness originated in Wuhan, China. Cases have been confirmed in Australia, Germany, France, Canada, and the United States.

There are no known cases in Florida.

“We are on the side of caution in order to provide the best care for our community,” says Dr. S. Raymond Golish, who practices at Jupiter Medical Center. “Know there are no known cases here at this time, but we are prepared in the unlikely eventuality that such a case occurs.”

He adds that the hospital is now following new CDC guidelines to conduct additional screenings for patients who display flu-like symptoms such as fever and coughing.

Those patients will be asked to answer questions about their travels and contact with others during the previous two weeks.

If doctors suspect the Coronavirus, those patients will then be placed in isolation and local health officials will be notified immediately.

Dr. Golish says a sample would be sent to the CDC for testing.

There is currently no antiviral treatment for the virus and no vaccine to prevent it.

So far, there are more than 6,000 cases in China, and 132 deaths.