[ColdNoMore]

China quarantines in effect (poke here)

China quarantines 20 million people in 3 cities; coronavirus vaccine could be 3 months away.


Americans face little risk from the deadly new coronavirus spreading across China and a vaccine could be ready for human testing within three months, the nation's leading expert on infectious disease says.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, provided the upbeat message Wednesday as authorities in China suspended planes, trains and ferries in and out of three cities with a combined population of almost 20 million people.

Public transports also has been mostly suspended within Huanggang, Ezhou and Wuhan, the city of 11 million serving as the epicenter for the virus. More than 500 people in China have been diagnosed with the virus and at least 17 have died.

Coronavirus: Here's what airlines and airports are doing to safeguard passengers

A small number of cases have been diagnosed in other countries, including one case in Washington state. Airports in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and San Francisco have stepped up health checks for passengers arriving from China.