Dr. Nancy Messonnier from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that nCoV will spread in the country, urging people to be ready to respond.

"We anticipate that we will see the virus spreading in the US community," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunology and Respiratory Disease at CDC, on February 25. "The question is no longer if it will happen, but exactly when it will happen and how many people in this country will be seriously ill."

CDC on the same day posted a message on Twitter, urging Americans to think about preparing to deal with the disease. "It is time for businesses, hospitals and the US community to begin preparing for the possibility of the Covid-19 pandemic."

Messonnier said the CDC wants Americans to understand that their lives can be affected. "We urge the American public to work with us to prepare for the worst case scenario," she said.

According to Messonnier, the CDC is taking a two-sided approach, both trying to prevent the virus from spreading and implementing strategies to reduce the impact of the disease on the community.

The US has so far recorded 57 cases of nCoV, including 40 returning from Diamond Princess yacht in Japan.