BOISE — State officials are asking for public cooperation in slowing the spread of the coronavirus, saying it’s just a matter of time before the disease reaches Idaho.

Although no cases have been confirmed in Idaho, state Epidemiologist Christine Hahn said there’s little doubt the viral infection will eventually show up.

When it does, she said, “I think it has the potential to be the biggest (health care) event” in Idaho since at least 1995.

Hahn joined Gov. Brad Little and Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen in updating the media Wednesday morning.

Little noted that the risks of anyone in Idaho getting the disease are still low. Nevertheless, “the national and international situation is rapidly evolving, and we do expect cases in Idaho at some point,” he said. “But Idaho is prepared.”

The coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China, late last year. Since then, more than 90,000 people have been infected worldwide. The first confirmed case in the United States was identified in Washington in January. As of Wednesday, the state reported 39 confirmed cases, all in Snohomish and King counties, of whom 10 have died. California and New York have also reported cases.

In Idaho, Hahn said six people have been tested at the state lab so far, with another six tests underway.

“I think we will see those numbers go up quite a bit,” she said.

Hahn has worked for the Department of Health and Welfare since 1995. During that time, she’s seen the state mobilize to address pandemic flu and West Nile virus, as well as SARS and MERS, two respiratory diseases that have similarities to the coronavirus.

Compared to those events, she said, the coronavirus has the potential to have an even greater impact on Idaho’s health system and citizens.

“Our public health goal is to slow the virus down,” Hahn said. “It’s too late to stop it.”

Here is more information from Wednesday’s news conference regarding actions the state is taking and what advice officials have for Idaho citizens:

If the risk is low, why take the unusual step of holding a news conference to update the public?

COVID-19, as this version of the virus is officially known, is a new disease, Hahn said. As such, health care officials are still learning about it.

“It’s a very fluid, fast-moving situation,” she said. “We have to acknowledge some uncertainty. We don’t know yet how bad it’s going to be.”

Although the initial data suggested the coronavirus had a “very high” mortality rate, Hahn said, that’s been coming down over time. At present, the best estimate is that 1.4 percent of individuals infected with the virus will die.

“That’s about 10 times higher than for the regular, seasonal flu,” she said. “That’s a very soft (estimate), but we certainly need to take it seriously.”

Humans have no built-in immunity to the disease, meaning it could spread rapidly and overwhelm the health care system. The news conference and other steps the state is taking are an attempt to minimize that possibility.

“With reported cases in neighboring states, I felt it was time to elevate the issue and share some information about what Idaho has been doing and will continue to do to prepare for a potential outbreak,” Little said.

How does the coronavirus compare to the flu?

Someone who’s exposed to the flu will likely get sick within a day or two, Hahn said, and infect one or two other people during the course of the illness.

Someone with the coronavirus may take four or five days to show symptoms, she said. That makes it harder to detect and contain, so they may infect more people — two or three, on average.

“So it spreads more quickly,” Hahn said.

Who is most at risk?

At this point, Hahn said, children appear to be less susceptible to the coronavirus than adults.

“This is a new virus, but everything we know so far is reassuring,” she said. “That doesn’t mean kids can’t get it, but it appears they tolerate it better.”

Little said healthy adults also don’t have much to worry about.

“But for our older population, and those with compromised health conditions, coronavirus could be very harmful,” he said. “That’s why we must all do our part to prevent the spread of this disease, and all respiratory illnesses. We must do what we can to keep those vulnerable people safe.”

Overall, Hahn said, 80 percent of the people who are infected with the coronavirus will likely become mildly sick.

What can people do to reduce the risk?

The same advice that applies to flu works for the coronavirus: wash your hands, cover your cough and stay home if you’re sick.

“The biggest thing is, we need to preserve capacity in our health care network, so if something does happen we’re prepared,” Little said. “So all those things — cover your mouth, don’t go out if you’re sick, good hygiene, those things are more important and the right thing to do anyway.”

At this point, Hahn said, health officials are not recommending that public events be canceled or that anyone change their vacation plans — unless they were heading to Wuhan, or other high-risk areas.

How will these prevention efforts help?

Besides reducing the risks to an individual, Hahn said, slowing the spread of the virus will reduce the impact on the state health care system.

“We can’t handle a huge influx of ill people,” she said.

Slowing the disease until the flu season is over could also be beneficial, Hahn said, as there’s some evidence that respiratory diseases in general decline in the spring and summer.

The coronavirus, however, “could return next fall,” she said. “We just don’t know.”

The slow-down strategy also gives businesses time to prepare — for example, by developing plans to allow people to work at home, either because they’re already sick or to avoid becoming sick.

Finally, it allows time for a vaccine or treatment regime to be developed.

“It will be a year or more before a vaccine is available,” Hahn said.

What other steps has the state taken?

Little noted that a website has been established to provide updated information on the situation in Idaho, including the number and results of any testing.

“It’s important that people stay informed through these official sources,” he said.

The website address is coronavirus.idaho.gov.

The governor also established a working group to coordinate education efforts and maintain lines of communications throughout the state health care system. Members of the group include Jeppesen; Carol Moehrle, director of the North Central Idaho Health District in Lewiston; Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra; Brian Whitlock, executive director of the Idaho Hospital Association; and Brad Richie, director of the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.

Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.