Pence to head coronavirus response

WASHINGTON—The United States is the most prepared country in the world to handle the rapidly spreading coronavirus, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday. He announced that Vice President Mike Pence will oversee the U.S. government’s response to the outbreak and said researchers are developing a vaccine. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said a vaccine could take a year or longer to become available.

How has the virus affected the United States? Someone in California has contracted the disease, known as COVID-19, from an unknown source. It could represent the first U.S. case of someone catching the disease in a community setting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States has seen about 60 cases of the virus, including 42 Americans who were on the Japanese cruise ship Diamond Princess that authorities quarantined earlier this month. The White House proposed $2.5 billion in funding for coronavirus prevention and treatment. Senate Democrats want $8 billion, and the Trump administration has signaled openness to meet them in the middle.

Dig deeper: Keep up with the U.S. response to the epidemic on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coronavirus page.