As concerns about coronavirus mount, health officials in Milwaukee are preparing for possible cases.

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12 NEWS’ SARAH THAMER REPORTS ON WHAT THEY’RE DOING, SHOULD THE VIRUS APPEAR. WHAT PROTOCOL IS THIS HOSPITAL TAKING IF SOMEBODY COMES IN WITH CORONAVIRUS? FIRST TO COME OF THIS TYPE OF THING IS SOMETHING WE ARE USED TO DEALING WITH. WE HAVE BEEN READY FOR THIS KIND OF THING FOR YEARS. >> INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN WILLIAM TIMM SAYS THERE ARE FOUR NEGATIVE PRESSURE ROOMS AT ASCENSION COLUMBIA ST. MARY’S IN MILWAUKEE USED FOR A POTENTIAL QUARANTINE SITUATION. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THE PATIENT IS IN HERE, THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND FILTRATION SUCH THAT THERE OUT OF THE ROOM AND SENDS IT TO SPECIAL FILTERS. NOTHING CAN GET OUT TO THE REST OF THE UNIT. >> WINWOOD A PERSON NEED TO BE PUT IN QUARANTINE? >> THE BIGGE SITUATION PATIENTS FEVER WITH COUGH, OTHER RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, AND THEY HAVE A TRAVEL HISTORY. THE BIGGEST RISK FACTOR IS TRAVELING TO CHINA WITHIN THE LAST 14 DAYS. PATRICK: SARAH, HAS ANYONE AT ASCENSION COLUMBIA ST. MARY’S BEEN TESTED FOR CORONAVIRUS? ONE NURSE TELLS ME ONE PERSON HAS BEEN TESTED FOR THE CORONAVIRUS HERE. THAT TEST CAME BACK NEGATIVE. STATEWIDE 10 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TE

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As concerns about coronavirus mount, health officials in Milwaukee are preparing for possible cases.So far, 10 people in Wisconsin have been tested for exposure to coronavirus.Of those, seven patients have tested negative while the results for the other three are still pending.Test results take 24 to 48 hours to determine if a patient is infected with the virus.They all recently traveled to Wuhan, China.That's the epicenter of the current outbreak.One of those patients tested for coronavirus was in Milwaukee."This kind of thing is something that we are used to dealing with in a sense," infectious disease Dr. William Timm said. "We've been ready for this kind of a thing for years."Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital has four negative pressure rooms that would be used in a potential quarantine situation."When the patient is in here, the door is closed, and there is actually filtration that basically sucks all the air out of here and send it to special filters so nothing can get out into the rest of the unit," Timm said describing one negative pressure room.In Milwaukee, isolation rooms at health clinics are at the ready should anyone come in thinking they may have the virus."This is what public health prepares for," Clinics Director Julie Katrichis said. "What's most important is, we mask that patient and we get them to seek medical care."State officials expect more people to be tested."We are implementing, asking people who arrive at the clinics here at the health department if they have traveled to Wuhan in the past 14 days and are they experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or any other respiratory symptoms," Katrichis said.The health department said what they want to avoid is anyone who is symptomatic to show up to a clinic and walk right through the doors."What we want people to do, if people have traveled to Wuhan in the past 14 days and if they are ill, we want them to call their medical provider and also if possible call the local health department," Katrichis said. The health department also said if volume increases or cases pop up in the city, they're prepared to staff a coronavirus hotline.When person-to-person spread has occurred, it is thought to have happened via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread.A patient can be contagious without showing symptoms for up to 14 days after contracting the virus.There are 11 cases in the U.S.Coronavirus has killed 427 people so far worldwide.