2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the most up-to-date information about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. To visit their website, please click here.
The Maryland Department of Health provides information specific to Maryland. To visit their website, please click here.
Click here for the most updated information as of April 2nd, 2020
Updates for HEALTHCARE Providers: click here
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Click here to learn what to do if you are sick
Guidance for travel in the United States
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Downloadable PDF’s
There is an ongoing investigation to determine more about this outbreak. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.
2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak in Wuhan, China reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread is occurring.
What kind of disease is this?
The outbreak is caused by a coronavirus. Common human coronaviruses cause mild to moderate upper respiratory symptoms, including the common cold, while more severe types can cause pneumonia and death. The name for this kind of virus comes from the crown-like spikes it has on its surface — “corona” is Latin for “crown.”
This strain of the virus is called 2019-nCoV for now, which is short for “2019 novel coronavirus.” It’s only the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans. The other two include MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome- a viral respiratory illness that was first reported in Saudia Arabia in 2012, spreading from camels) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome- a viral respiratory virus that was first reported in southern China in 2002 and identified in 2003, spreading from bats).
The current coronavirus appears to have the same genetic sequencing as a coronavirus originating from a bat.
Where did it come from?
Coronaviruses originate in animals — like camels, civets and bats — and are usually not transmissible to humans. But occasionally a coronavirus mutates and can pass from animals to humans and then from human to human, as was the case with the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s. China’s National Health Commission has confirmed that 15 health care workers have become infected, indicating that the virus can spread from human to human.
Most, but not all, of the first known cases in December 2019 were traced to an animal market in the Chinese city of Wuhan and are believed to have come from contact with live animals that were infected. The market has since been closed. Wuhan is a major logistics and transportation hub. It lies about 500 miles west of Shanghai and is home to more than 11 million people.
How does it spread?
Health officials believe the virus can be passed from person to person via exchange of fluids from the respiratory tract, but they still don’t know precisely how. The respiratory route seems likely because clusters of cases have been observed within families, whose members have had prolonged close contact with an infected person. There is emerging evidence in Wuhan that the virus can spread from one person to another to another multiple times — the way that a disease like the flu spreads. That’s something that global health officials are watching for in international cases.
Prevention
There is currently no vaccine to prevent 2019-nCoV infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Right now, 2019-nCoV has not been found to be spreading in the United States, so there are no additional precautions recommended for the general public to take. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses.
How serious is this?
This virus is “highly infectious,” according to China’s Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control. But the agency does not consider the disease to be as virulent as the one that caused the SARS outbreak in 2003. The risk to the general American public is “low,”.
Where can I get the latest information?
1) Maryland Department of Health https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Pages/Novel-coronavirus.aspx
2) CDC https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
3) CDC Traveler’s Health Notice https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-wuhan-china
4) World Health Organization https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
