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February 15, 2020
Background
CDC is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and which continues to expand. On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization named the disease coronavirus disease 2019 (abbreviated “COVID-19”).
Chinese health officials have reported tens of thousands of cases of COVID-19 in China, with the virus reportedly spreading from person-to-person in parts of that country. COVID-19 illnesses, most of them associated with travel from Wuhan, also are being reported in a growing number of international locations, including the United States. Some person-to-person spread of this virus outside China has been detected. The United States reported the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with this virus on January 30, 2020.
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February 15, 2020No, a regular surgical mask will not help you steer clear of the virus.
Can wearing a medical face mask protect you against the new coronavirus? It's a question many people, including pet owners who are putting canine face masks on their dogs, are asking.
If it's a regular surgical face mask, the answer is "no," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, told Live Science.
A more specialized mask, known as an N95 respirator, can protect against the new coronavirus, also called 2019-nCoV. The respirator is thicker than a surgical mask, but Schaffner doesn't recommend it for public use, at least not at this point.
That's because, in part, it's challenging to put these masks on and wear them for long periods of time, he said.
Specialists receive retraining annually on how to properly fit these respirators around the nose, cheeks and chin, ensuring that wearers don't breathe around -
February 08, 2020Only four of the five latest confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus infections in the U.S. are people with a travel history to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, according to the CDC’s National Center for Respiratory Diseases. Its director, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, said at a press briefing yesterday that the fifth patient – who is in California - is a close household contact of another patient in California. This is the second instance of person-to-person spread in the United States.
The new cases bring the total of coronavirus cases in the U.S. to 11, and Messonnier said there will likely be more.
“We expect to see more cases of person-to-person spread among close contacts. And we continue to expect this will happen given the explosive nature of this outbreak in China and our very aggressive public health response where we are putting a lot of resources into finding infections this virus.”
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February 08, 2020Dubai: UAE authorities have screened those who may have come into contact with the five patients detected with Coronavirus in the country, but none has presented with any symptoms of the disease so far, a top official told Gulf News on Sunday.
Dr Hussain Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centres and Clinics under the Ministry of Health and Prevention and Chairman of the National Committee for the Implementation of International Health Regulations and Prevention of Pandemics, said, “Our surveillance system is very good. Those who may have come into contact with the five Chinese patients have also been screened and there is nothing to worry as they did not show any symptoms. We have advised them to get in touch with us if they develop any symptoms at a later stage.”
"Our surveillance system is very good. Those who may have come into contact with the five Chinese patients have also been screened and there is nothing to worry as they
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February 08, 2020
Wash your hands frequently
Wash your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water kills the virus if it is on your hands.
Practice respiratory hygiene
When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Why? Covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing prevent the spread of germs and viruses. If you sneeze or cough into your hands, you may contaminate objects or people that you touch.
Maintain social distancing
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing and have -
February 08, 2020
nCoV has much lesser virulence as compared to other coronaviruses such as MERS and SARS.
As the UAE confirms its first cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) patients, doctors called for calm - stressing that the probability of a healthy person dying from the virus is "slim to zero".
It is not a "strong virus", said Dr Maan Jamal, a consultant pulmonologist at Emirates Hospital Jumeirah. "But experts fear it might spread fast and no one has any immunity against it."
In terms of severity, "nCoV has much lesser virulence as compared to other coronaviruses such as MERS and SARS. However, because it is new, it has some bad consequences", he added.
"We know very little about it. Though the coronavirus has been around since the '60s, nCOV is new. We are facing a new genome."
Based on the figures available around the nCoV outbreak, about 2.2 per cent -
February 04, 2020The rise in new coronavirus cases outside China, now constitutes a global health emergency, the World Health Organization’s Emergency Committee declared on Thursday, calling on all countries to take urgent measures to contain the respiratory disease.
Latest WHO figures state there are more than 7,800 confirmed cases globally, with 7,736 confirmed in China, and a further 12,167 suspected cases inside the country where the outbreak began in Wuhan, a city of around 11 million which remains in lockdown.
Latest figures
So far, 170 people have died in China, and 1,370 cases there are officially described as severe. A total of 124 have recovered and been discharged from hospital.
Outside China, there are 82 confirmed cases, in 18 different countries, and only seven had no history of travel in China.
“There has been human-to-human transmission in three countries outside China”, according to a statement released by WHO’s -
February 02, 2020Some of the major and busiest international airports in the world have started announcing preventive safety measures against the spread of coronavirus after its outbreak in China and reported spread to more than 20 countries.
Some of the major and busiest international airports in the world have started announcing preventive safety measures against the spread of coronavirus after its outbreak in China and quick spread to more than 20 countries.
The deadly virus that was first found in Wuhan, the capital and the most populated city of Hubei Province, in Central China, is spreading at a rapid pace despite various preventive measures being taken by the Chinese authorities. Deaths caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) have been increasing at a rapid pace from the mere two reported initially to 170 in less than a month.
International passengers travelling from China are naturally the biggest risk to the countries they arrive to. The CDC initially issued -
February 02, 2020Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. As the global public health community works to keep people safe, Facebook is supporting their work in several ways, most especially by working to limit the spread of misinformation and harmful content about the virus and connecting people to helpful information. Here are some specific steps we are taking.
Limiting Misinformation and Harmful Content
Our global network of third-party fact-checkers are continuing their work reviewing content and debunking false claims that are spreading related to the coronavirus. When they rate information as false, we limit its spread on Facebook and Instagram and show people accurate information from these partners. We also send notifications to people who already shared or are trying to share this content to alert them that it’s been fact-checked.
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February 02, 2020Many Americans likely grew a little nervous after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Thursday that a novel coronavirus has spread for the first time within the U.S. But agency officials and other doctors have a simple message for Americans: keep doing what you’re doing to stay healthy.
“The best things that you can do are the things that we generally recommend at this time of year to prevent the spread of infectious diseases,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a Jan. 30 call with reporters. “Wash your hands, cover your cough, take care of yourself and keep alert to the information that we’re providing, because we’ll provide new information as it becomes available.”
In Asia, the novel coronavirus known as 2019-nCoV is spreading rapidly, and has reached far enough to warrant
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