Coronavirus kills 6 in Washington state

Health officials in Washington state said Monday that four more people have died of the new coronavirus, bringing the state's death toll, and nation's, to six. Georgia reported its first two cases Monday, bringing the number of states with confirmed cases to 15, according to CBS News. 

The disease that emerged in central China was taking a mounting toll on American nerves. Stores in regions with COVID-19 clusters were selling out of basic goods as people stocked up.

The disease has hit at least 70 countries, with 90,000 cases and 3,100 deaths.  The vast majority of cases and deaths have been in China.

While their research has yet to be peer-reviewed, a team of scientists in Washington said the state's two deaths could be the tip of an iceberg: They said hundreds more people in King County, where Seattle is located, may already have been exposed to the disease.

The potential for mild or even asymptomatic cases to go undetected but still spread COVD-19 has been noted repeatedly by health officials as one of the biggest challenges in fighting the disease.