The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to closely monitor an outbreak of a 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China that began in December 2019.
Patients with a travel history to Wuhan City, China, and respiratory symptoms with fever should be managed following guidance from the New York State Department of Health and CDC.
A suspect case of 2019-nCoV or Patient Under Investigation (PUI) is defined as:
- Fever AND symptoms of lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) AND in the last 14 days before symptom onset:
- History of travel from Wuhan City, China OR close contact with a person who is under investigation for 2019-nCOV while that person was ill.
- Fever OR symptoms of lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) AND in the last 14 days before symptom onset:
- Close contact with an ill laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV patient.
You and your staff should follow these guidelines with suspected 2019-nCoV patients:
- Initiate appropriate Precautions: Standard + Contact + Airborne
- Practice appropriate hand hygiene
- Wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, gowns, eye protection and N-95 respirators