The new coronavirus epidemic is likely to grow into a pandemic, with additional cases expected in the U.S. possibly within the coming days, federal health officials said this week.

Despite these growing concerns, health officials on Tuesday said its not yet clear what this could mean for the general public. What is known, however, is how the public and government health agencies can prepare.

Its not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather more a question of when this will happen and how many people in this country will become infected, Dr. Anne Schuchat, the Center for Disease Control and Preventions principal deputy director told reporters Tuesday of the diseases spread in the U.S.

Fortunately, according to Schuchat, theres literally a playbook on how to respond to such a health risk, at the federal and local levels.