Have you ever gone to an air show? If they had military aircraft you may be jolted by their noise. When you look up the plane isn’t where you expect it to be because sound is slower than light. The plane has moved on.
That is similar to how viruses are perceived. The first sign of a new virus is not when it first emerges. There is an incubation period when the virus is transmitable, but not apparent. Consequently governmental responses are almost always too slow and inadequate.
We have seen the World Health Organization fail time and again at responding to Ebola. Now we have the Coronavirus emanating from Wuhan, China. I will give the Chinese government some credit for effort, but it’s already too late. I expect the virus to be sweeping through that country shortly.
CDC has already failed in this country. When the coronavirus appeared a couple of weeks ago, travelers from China should have been quarantined for two weeks. We now have 5 cases here. How many people did those five contact? How many more asymptomatic travelers will come here and then get sick? And in short order people who haven’t been to China will be bearing the virus.
The only chance to contain a virus is to be extremely aggressive at its first emergence. At this point all you can do is mitigate physical contact with others and wash your hands frequently. Don’t wait to safeguard yourself until you hear it’s in your town. It may be already.