Law enforcement search for armed suspect, Vance Boelter, in fatal shooting of Minnesota lawmaker.

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. As of Wednesday, there are more than 6,000 confirmed cases worldwide, and more than 100 people have died.

The outbreak of the respiratory illness began in the Chinese city of Wuhan but has since traveled as far as the United States, where

. The World Health Organization has resisted calls to declare the outbreak a global health emergency, saying it’s too soon. But that could change, as the known infections grow.

The latest thread raises familiar questions about America’s readiness to handle a global pandemic. Wednesday, two guests joined MPR guest host Chris Farrell to discuss the virus and the state of emergency preparedness in the United States.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

Correction (May 4, 2020): An earlier version of this post misidentified the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy as part of the University of Minnesota’s School for Public Health. The post has been updated.

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As of Wednesday morning, more than 6,000 cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed globally. More than 100 people have died. Should Americans be concerned about a virus that is rapidly spreading across international borders? 

As the coronavirus spreads, familiar questions on emergency preparedness resurface

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