BOISE — Idaho officials at a Wednesday press conference updated the state on their preparations for responding to a potential coronavirus outbreak, and appeared to walk a fine line between urging residents not to panic while still remaining vigilant against the spread of the disease.

One of the first things Gov. Brad Little noted during the conference was his creation of a special work group to address the issue.

The group is made up of leaders and experts from various state departments, including the Idaho Office of Emergency Management, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, and also includes representation from the Idaho Hospital Association. Little also said a new website and Twitter account are active as of Wednesday to help keep Idahoans informed about their potential risk of contracting the virus.

That risk is still low, as it is in most states, said Christine Hahn, medical director for the Idaho Division of Public Health, who also spoke at the press conference. There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Idaho, although Hahn said six people have been tested for the illness. Those six were largely people considered otherwise medium or low-risk for infection, and were tested largely because of their travel history, she said.

Officials activated the state’s public health plan, which has been in place for years, in response to concerns about the virus on Jan. 27, said Dave Jeppesen, director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

“We do expect cases (of coronavirus) here,” Hahn said.

However, Hahn said official recommendations and responses to a confirmed case will largely be dependent on where the case occurs.

Hahn estimated the response to the coronavirus concern has been the largest such response, in her experience, since 1995. But she also said Idahoans shouldn’t cancel spring break travel plans, nor should major public events be postponed. While she said the number of coronavirus tests the state needs to perform is increasing quickly, she also pointed out healthy children aren't especially at risk, because early data indicate children appear to handle the virus better than adults.

Little held the press conference against the backdrop of the latest virus-related developments from Washington state, which, as of Tuesday, recorded 10 deaths as a result of the illness, according to the Seattle Times. There have been a total of 28 confirmed cases in the state.

Sean Briggs, marketing manager for the Boise Airport, confirmed to the Idaho Press on Wednesday passengers are not undergoing tests for the virus at the airport, because international flights do not fly directly into Boise. If the airport receives different guidance from Idaho's Central District Health, Briggs said, that could change.

One of the reasons coronavirus is different from the flu — which kills far more people every year than coronavirus has — is because no one has immunity to coronavirus the way some people do against the flu.

Additionally, Hahn said, initial data from China showed coronavirus has high mortality rates, although that rate has decreased with more data and is currently estimated to be 1.4%, she said. Plus, people with coronavirus appear, on average, to spread the virus to roughly two or three people — as compared to flu patients, who usually spread the disease to one or two people.

“We have to acknowledge uncertainty,” Hahn said. “We have to acknowledge we don’t know how bad it is. We have to treat this as something that could be more deadly than the flu.”

Across the world, officials have come to realize they cannot stop coronavirus, Hahn said. The goal now is to slow it down. She said it will be a year or more before a vaccine is available to prevent this strain of the coronavirus, and said there are currently no antiviral treatment for the illness. But it’s possible the virus may lose momentum with the end of the normal flu season, she said.

“It’s possible that cases could naturally decline, and we could have bought some time,” she said, although she noted even in that scenario the virus could return in the fall.

One of the main concerns about a possible coronavirus outbreak in Idaho, Hahn said, would be the state’s health care system struggling under the burden of increased caseloads. Hahn said Idaho hopes to acquire more materials to test for the virus. Right now, she said, the state could test 300 patients; she hopes that capacity will increase to 500 by the end of the week. The state could test up to 15 cases per day, and right now that’s not a problem, she said, although she anticipated that soon the one lab testing the cases won’t be able to test all the cases it receives in a single day.

Until recently, the state was, in most cases, only allowed to test for the virus if a suspect case met a list of criteria outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the federal government on Tuesday lifted those restrictions. Additionally, Hahn said she hopes the federal Food and Drug Administration will soon allow tests to be processed at approved private laboratories, so the burden of dealing with the virus isn’t entirely on the public health system’s shoulders.

Hahn pointed out at least one health district in Idaho — Southwest District Health — has mobilized a hotline to handle calls about coronavirus concerns; other districts could do the same if they felt it was necessary, she said. The hotline can be reached between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. by calling 208-455-5411.

People can also obtain information about the virus from the Idaho Care Line at 211, she said. She listed it as an option for people who do not have a primary care physician, but who may still need the information.

As Little did before her, Hahn urged people to wash their hands and stay home if they feel sick. She asked employers to be understanding of sick employees’ need to stay home, or make arrangements for them to work away from others. Little said “we must all do our part” to prevent the spread of diseases and protect the state’s vulnerable population.

“I’m confident as Idahoans we will do a good job handling this,” he said.