Coronavirus COVID-19

Regarding the Coronavirus Disease

While the number of reported coronavirus cases is low in the US, we feel that it is important to let you know what we are doing to help prevent the spread of the virus and provide additional education and resources to our employees.  Similar to prior virus outbreaks, such as SARS, it is important that we follow the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and our state and local health departments.

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person.  Common signs and symptoms of this illness include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. In recently reported cases, symptoms have ranged in severity from mild illness to death. The time from exposure to symptom onset ranges from two to 14 days. The virus can be spread from person-to-person, but it is unclear how easily 2019-nCoV is spreading between people at this time. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers the current risk of infection in the U.S. to be low, risk for infection is higher in health care settings such as hospitals and clinical laboratories.

There are simple everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. These include:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available

If you are sick, to keep from spreading respiratory illness to others, you should:

  • 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.

Additional Resources

The CDC is the best source of information regarding the coronavirus and has created a coronavirus website that is updated regularly: https://www.cdc.gov/COVID19. We will be actively monitoring the site, as well as working with our local public health officials.

March 6, 2020 in Community
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