Several schools in Central Bucks County are closed after some individuals were exposed to a confirmed case of the coronavirus, Your Content has learned.

The news came on an alert on the school district’s website, saying officials were made aware of the virus exposure sometime Thursday.

For more information visit: https://www.cbsd.org/

No details about the exposure were released.

“After consulting with local and state health authorities, and out of an abundance of caution, CBSD has decided to close 5 schools today, March 6, 2020,” the alert read.

The recent widespread outbreak of the respiratory disease stemmed from a novel coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected in 60 locations internationally, including in the United States. 

Those who have recently traveled to China are at the greatest risk of contracting the deadly virus.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats.

During the week of February 23, CDC reported community spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 in California (in two places), Oregon and Washington. Community spread in Washington resulted in the first death in the United Statesfrom COVID-19, as well as the first reported case of COVID-19 in a health care worker, and the first potential outbreak in a long-term care facility.

The CDC affirms that there are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.

How will the coronavirus impact my community?

More cases of the coronavirus are likely to be identified in the coming days, according to the CDC. That includes a rapid increase in cases in the United States. It’s also likely that person-to-person spread will continue to occur, including in communities in the United States. It’s likely that at some point, widespread transmission of the coronavirus in the United States will occur.

Widespread transmission of the coronavirus would translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, workplaces, and other places for mass gatherings may experience more absenteeism. Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and transportation industry may also be affected. Health care providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against the coronavirus and no medications approved to treat it. Nonpharmaceutical interventions would be the most important response strategy.

This is a developing breaking news story. It will be updated momentarily. Stay with Your Content for the latest developments. 

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