Top CDC official says US should prepare for coronavirus 'to take a foothold'

"At some point, we are likely to see community spread in the U.S. or in other countries," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters on a conference call. "This will trigger a change in our response strategy."

Messonnier said the CDC is regularly talking with manufacturers of medical supplies, such as masks and gloves, to ensure enough are available in case of an outbreak here. "At this time, some partners [in other countries] are reporting higher than usual demand for N95 respirators and facemasks," she said.

The CDC said Tuesday that a mistake at a lab led U.S. health officials to release an infected coronavirus patient from a San Diego hospital. The patient had been evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, on a government-chartered flight last week.