NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More deaths from Coronavirus were reported around the country on Monday, but still, there have been no cases reported in Nashville to this point, and experts said there's no need to worry until an outbreak occurs.
Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a world-renowned infectious disease expert, said there are still a lot of unknowns with the virus, and it's possible it could be contained locally to other cities and states and not make it to Nashville, or, it's possible someone infected by the virus could already be in Nashville.
“I think any place in the United States could have a case that’s gone undetected," Schaffner said.
Schaffner has followed Coronavirus closely, and he said while many are afraid of the outbreak, in Nashville, people should continue life as normal.
“They shouldn’t panic, there’s nothing to panic about," Schaffner explained. "We have lots more influenza than we do Coronavirus, but it’s reasonable to think: What would happen if there were Coronavirus in Nashville? How would our family adjust to that?”
Things like staying home from events or working from home are good options to weigh if an outbreak were to happen according to Schaffner, but at this time, that would just be planning for the worst-case scenario.
For doctors, Schaffner said they're not even sure the severity of Coronavirus yet, as they don't have all the data they need on typical cases.
“The tendency is of course to pay attention to the most severe cases and to test them – so less severe cases don’t get the same testing and same attention,” Schaffner said, adding that more data could show that Coronavirus is less deadly than many believe, or it could confirm many people's fears.
At this time, Schaffner said it's all about evaluating what risks you're willing to take, especially when it comes to things like travel.
“It all depends on your own risk tolerance," Schaffner explained. "There are two considerations: What is the risk of my actually getting an infection – still pretty low even though you’re traveling internationally, but if things get worse while you’re traveling, could there be some interruption of travel and you might be stuck in that country at least for a while.”
For domestic travel at this point, Schaffner said you're still way more at risk for the flu than Coronavirus, and for international travel, you may be more likely to be impacted by the reactions to Coronavirus than the actual virus itself.
