(Washington) -- Nationwide and worldwide concern continues to grow over the spread of the novel coronavirus.
An official with the Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday it's not a question of if the disease will spread across the U.S., but when. Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne is among those receiving briefings on coronavirus in Washington. Speaking on KMA's "Morning Line" program Wednesday morning, Axne says the situation is difficult, because coronavirus is something the country's never dealt with before.
"We're seeing it spread, yes, and it's spread fairly easily," said Axne. "The thing about this is that it's very similar to the flu, in that it's more dangerous to young people and to older people. But, it is something that people can live with. So, as long as we can ensure that we're getting ahead of it in some degree here, as well as hoping to find possibly find some kind of shot or something that could help us with it at the same time, that would be fantastic."
In the meantime, the West Des Moines Democrat urges people not to panic. She believes the CDC is doing all it can to prevent the virus' spread across the country.
"We obviously can find a way to overcome this," she said. "More people are still dying of the flu every year, and we still have people who don't get flu shots. So, we'll continue to monitor this, and make sure that we protect our country, and hopefully see it not get any further, and not into the Midwest area."
Axne also recommends heeding the advice of health officials, and take the same precautions as you would in avoiding contracting the flu.
"I haven't been sick since I started running for this election," said Axne, "and every younger member on my team has been. I wash my hands diligently, and I think if more people did that, it would help with things like the flu, and with spreading of viruses. I know it seems minimal, but it really is about ensuring that the bacteria, the virus, isn't transferred over to you, and you're getting it in your system."
You can hear the full interview with Cindy Axne on our "Morning Line" page at kmaland.com.
