JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jimmy Patronis, the State Fire Marshal and Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, is scheduled to visit Jacksonville on Thursday to discuss preparing firefighters for potential cases of coronavirus.

Patronis said first responders are concerned that the coronavirus will need a multi-regional response, meaning they may need to move assets around the state.

“In the event coronavirus makes its way to Florida – our first responders are the tip of the spear when it comes to saving lives and reducing the magnitude of its spread," Patronis said in a statement.

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Jacksonville fire service community members, elected officials and Jaxport representatives will be part of the conversation.

"CFO Jimmy Patronis is coming over to make sure we’re all on the same page and let people know we don’t see a threat now, but you have to be prepared,” Mary Lenny Curry told News4Jax.

Patronis’ office said they’ll specifically talk about firefighter preparedness. The roundtable discussion is scheduled to happen at 10 a.m., and News4Jax will be there.

“Many experts believe it’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ the infection spreads throughout the United States," Patronis’ statement read. "So we’re going to keep working with our first responders to make sure they’re getting the equipment and information they need to keep our communities safe.”

‘Very, very ready’ for the threat

President Trump declared Wednesday that the U.S. is "very, very ready'' for whatever the coronavirus threat brings, and he put his vice president in charge of overseeing the nation’s response.

President Donald Trump speaks as Vice President Mike Pence listens during a news conference about coronavirus in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump speaks as Vice President Mike Pence listens during a news conference about coronavirus in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Mr. Trump Trump sought to minimize fears of the virus spreading widely across the U.S., saying, “I don’t think it’s inevitable.”

But standing next to him at a White House news conference were health authorities who reiterated that Americans need to get ready for what could become a wider outbreak requiring such steps as school closures.

READ: President Trump urges calm even as US reports worrisome new virus case

“Our aggressive containment strategy here in the United States has been working and is responsible for the low levels of cases we have so far. However, we do expect more cases,”said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 81,000 cases of COVID-19, an illness characterized by fever and coughing and sometimes shortness of breath or pneumonia, have occurred since the new virus emerged in China.

The National Institutes of Health’s top infectious disease chief cautioned a vaccine won’t be ready for widespread use for a year or more, but said the virus might return, so researchers have to push ahead.

NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci called it "quite conceivable'' that the virus will "come back and recycle next year. In that case, we hope to have a vaccine.''

Trump said Vice President Mike Pence will be working with CDC, NIH and other government agencies to coordinate the response. In previous outbreaks, the White House has appointed a “czar” to pull together the different departments’ work.

Coronavirus: How it spreads & the symptoms

Under a powerful microscope, coronavirus looks like a ball with growths protruding from the surface. When someone who is infected sneezes, the particles float in the air and eventually land on surfaces we touch.

Memorial Hospital Pulmonologist Alexis Vazquez said it only takes a small amount of saliva from the cough or sneeze of an infected person to spread the virus.

“Every time we touch a door handle, a laptop, anything -- sometimes we touch our mouth, and that’s how we get infected," Vazquez said.

Therefore, washing your hands is important. The common flu can last on surfaces for a couple of hours.

But when it comes to coronavirus, surface duration is uncertain. Another way to protect yourself, especially if you are walking inside a hospital or traveling via plane, bus or train is using a mask to cover your mouth and nose. There are many types of mask sold in stores and online.

Medical experts say the N95 particulate respirator is one of the best masks on the market when it comes to protecting yourself from the coronavirus and even the common flu.

Vasquez said he’s seeing an increasing number of patients who believe they are infected with the coronavirus, including his own mother. No cases have been reported in Jacksonville, or in Florida.

“She was convinced she had the coronavirus. I said, ‘No you don’t,’" Vasquez said. "But yes, it’s happening more frequently now, especially since it’s the top story in the news over and over again. It’s more national attention because now we’re seeing more of a spread of it. But in the U.S., it’s contained.”

Another reason people believe they have the coronavirus: The symptoms mimic the flu.

“Symptoms are very high fever and almost always associated with respiratory problems," Vazquez said.

Once the coronavirus enters the respiratory track, it eventually attacks the lungs. Then the infected person starts having flu like symptoms that last for days, and a lot longer for people with pre-existing respiratory problems or compromised immune systems.