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Now that coronavirus is a global health emergency, how are first responders, airports preparing?

BOSTON — After three meetings in a week, the World Health Organization has declared the Chinese coronavirus a global health emergency.

The announcement comes as an effort to prevent the potentially deadly respiratory disease from spreading even more, although it has already reached over 20 countries.

On Thursday the CDC also announced they confirmed the first human-to-human case of coronavirus in the United States in the state of Illinois.

There have been over 7,700 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, but what are airports and local emergency crews doing to help curb the spread of the virus?

Here at home, Logan airport officials said they would start screening passengers arriving from China, but so far passengers have reported they have not been screened after going through customs. Travelers out of many Asian countries, primarily China, have said they were screened by airport officials before boarding their flights.

It is still unclear what the timetable will be for Logan airport officials to set up screenings, but Boston 25 News has reached out to Massport and CDC for statements.

One passenger said he left China out of fear that flights to the U.S. would be canceled, but so far the State Department has only issued a travel warning. Flights from China are still arriving at Logan, about three every day.

"I was there for [Chinese] New Year’s but I had to come back earlier because I was afraid they were going to shut down the flights, who knows,” said Fan Wu.

Later in the day, following the WHO announcement, Virgin Atlantic Airlines announced they would be suspending their Heathrow-Shanghai operations for 14 days starting on Feb. 1.

Dr. Paul Biddinger, the Chief of Emergency Preparedness at Massachusetts General Hospital has been monitoring the status of the new deadly Chinese virus along with his team. Dr. Biddinger says that, while anxieties might be running high, the public should understand the risk for catching the disease is not imminent while on a plane.

At MGH, there are currently 10 special isolation rooms ready to treat any future patients with the virus. Staff have been trained to put on and take off special protective gear.

As for first responders, Boston EMS says they are ready to take on any calls for potential coronavirus cases, saying they are “actively monitoring the situation to ensure [they] have taken the necessary steps to be prepared for a safe and effective response.”

Boston EMS spokesperson Caitlin McLaughlin tells Boston 25 News they have implemented a screening during the 911 call-taking process, where dispatch call takers have been trained to ask specific questions pertinent to the CDC criteria for coronavirus, including recent travel.

“All Boston EMS ambulances are equipped with necessary personal protective equipment, such as gloves and masks, and standard cleaning solutions to sanitize the ambulance after transport,” said McLaughlin. “Additionally, Boston EMS is providing fact sheets and guidance to our public safety partners, including the Boston Fire Department and the Boston Police Department.”

Emergency responders in the city of Boston are highly trained for viral outbreaks such as this one. Having dealt with disease outbreaks such as SARS, MERS and the H1N1 flu, crews are ready to respond and assist should the coronavirus become a threat to the city.

Emergency dispatchers at Brewster Ambulance have been simulating potential infectious disease calls, training for when they have to respond to these sorts of calls in real life.

[ Sick passenger on flight from China refused treatment, didn’t meet coronavirus criteria, source says ]

The information pulled from a 911 call with a possibly infected person would be shared with the hospital for isolation needs and preparedness. It would also help paramedics decide which type of gear they will need for the response.

“When a patient identifies they have a symptom related to this illness, we can ask a serious of questions like, ‘Have you traveled to the suspected hot spot area,'" said Tom Gwynn, Director of Communications for Brewster Ambulance.

Brewster Ambulances also work with EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives out of Braintree, a company focused on providing cleaning and sterilizing products for emergency responders.

Evaclean and Purone technology are used by Brewster crews to disinfect their workspaces and ensure the safety of patients.

“It’s an indispensable tool for them to very frequently and proactively disinfect as opposed to waiting for an outbreak to happen,” said Jeremiah Gray, of EarthSafe Alternatives.

While the public has been having issues with finding surgical masks amid outbreak fears, Brewster officials say that, so far, that hasn’t been a problem for them.

“We’re pretty fortunate our suppliers that we order from,” said Chris DiBona, with Brewster Ambulances. “There has been no problem with supply order and deliveries.”