Area hospital officials say they’re receiving regular updates about the spread of the COVID-19 virus from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. That data about the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, includes the number of current cases (more than 82,000 worldwide, with about 2,800 deaths) and what hospitals can do to help stop its spread. However, the public also should take measures to minimize their own exposure to the coronavirus and other illnesses, said Dr.