COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina's governor is telling people not to panic about the coronavirus, a virus that's spreading around the world but so far has not come to the state.
Gov. Henry McMaster met with state health and public safety leaders Monday morning for over an hour, then spoke to the public at a news conference where he said there were no confirmed cases in the state.
"This is not a hurricane, it's not a flood," he said. "It's like the flu."
State leaders said if there are cases in South Carolina, they will notify the public.
The coronavirus first appeared in China and has since spread to other countries, including the United States. Over the weekend, the first two deaths from the virus were confirmed near Seattle.
The state now also has testing kits to check for the disease in the state.
McMaster said the disease is not airborne, but is spread by coming into contact with people who have the illness and are coughing or sneezing, sending droplets into the air. It's the droplets that can spread the infection. People can also get it from surfaces that have come into contact with those droplets.
He said the best advice is some old advice: use good hygiene.
"Do what your mama said, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, don't cough on people, and wash your hands frequently," McMaster said.
Health experts recommend scrubbing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water, and to do that several times a day. People can also disinfect frequently touched surfaces with common cleansers. Hand sanitizer can also be used if soap and water aren't available.
He said anyone who starts to feel sick should do what they would normally do. "What do you do when you have the flu, you stay home until you get well," McMaster said. "If you think you have a bad cough, call the doctor, and take it easy."
Officials with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) also said there is no reason to make a run on masks, and that those should be saved for the people who need them and health care workers.
The public health committee McMaster met with includes all the state's emergency agencies, a private doctor who is an expert in infectious diseases, a hospital official, a coroner and several others.