90,000 now infected with coronavirus worldwide
12 states now have confirmed cases in the U.S. - NBC's Sarah Dallof reports
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KYMA, KECY/NBC News) - The coronavirus has now claimed more than 3,000 lives around the world. Officials in Washington state blame it for nine deaths there.
The rising death toll has health officials pleading with the public to stay home if they're feeling ill.
The nation's top infectious disease expert now says a treatment for the virus could be ready in a matter of months.
"Within a period of a few months, several months whether or not this particular drug works. If it does, the implementation of that would be almost immediate." said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
A vaccine, however, is at least a year away.
Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) toured a laboratory at the National Institutes of Health's vaccine research center alongside President Donald Trump.
In response to the virus' growing economic threat, the Federal Reserve announced an emergency interest rate cut - the largest in more than a decade.
"We will do our part to make sure the economy remains strong as we confront this challenge." said Fed Chairmain Jerome Powell.
In New York, a second case signaled the virus may be spreading. A Westchester man who hadn't traveled internationally or come into contact with a known patient.
"I said you'd start to see community spread cases, where you can't track it back directly to one place or one visit." said Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The school one of the man's children attend is now closed, along with at least one other.
The Department of Homeland Security in Seattle is closed for at least two weeks. That after an employee fell ill after visiting a family member at the nursing facility where multiple people have died.
"Though the employee did not report to work when they felt ill, we are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution." said acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf.
Stores across the country are now seeing a run on supplies, including food, hand sanitize, and toilet paper, amid fears of a possible pandemic.
