NATS – CORONA VIRUS News Letter and Guide Lines
- Published By: techteam
- March 11, 2020 / 06:21 PM IST
What are coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infection in humans or animals. Sometimes an animal coronavirus can change so that it can infect people and become a human coronavirus. There are seven known types of human coronaviruses. Four types are common and cause mild to moderate respiratory infections, like the common cold. Two types, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), can cause severe respiratory infections. The seventh type (2019-nCoV) is a new coronavirus recently discovered in China,and now named COVID 19. Public health officials are trying to learn more about this new virus and the infection it causes.
What is a novel coronavirus?
A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus strain that has not been previously found in humans.
Who gets coronavirus infections?
Most people become infected with coronaviruses that cause the common cold at some point during their lives. These infections often occur in the fall or winter.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a type of coronavirus infection discovered in China in 2002. The virus that causes SARS quickly spread to more than two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe and Asia before it was controlled. During the 2002-2003 outbreak, nearly 8,100 people became infected. In the United States, eight people with laboratory-confirmed SARS infection were identified and they had traveled to areas where the virus was spreading. No deaths were reported in the United States then. Since 2004, no cases of SARS have been reported in the world.
Another type of coronavirus infection is Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Since it was discovered in 2012, nearly 2,500 people with MERS have been identified. All these cases have been linked to travel to or residence in and near the Arabian Peninsula. Countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula include Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Two people in the United States have had MERS and both traveled to Saudi Arabia where they likely became infected.
How do coronaviruses spread?
Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, close personal contact (such as caring for or living with an infected person), or touching an object or surface with the virus on it and then touching your mouth or eyes before washing your hands. Three human coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and 2019-nCoV) are also thought to spread from infected animals to people through contact.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus infections?
Coronaviruses typically cause respiratory symptoms, such as runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, and fever. Sometimes, coronaviruses can cause more severe infections, such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs), kidney failure, or even death.
How soon after exposure do symptoms occur?
It depends on the type of coronavirus. In general, symptoms usually appear 2-14 days after exposure.
How are coronavirus infections diagnosed?
Special laboratory tests for respiratory specimens or blood samples are needed to diagnose coronavirus infection. This testing is more likely to be used if you have severe symptoms or if your infection might be caused by an uncommon strain of coronavirus like Covid19.
What is the treatment for coronaviruses?
There is no specific treatment for coronavirus infections. Treatment consists of supportive care and relief of symptoms.
How can coronavirus infection be prevented?
A vaccine to prevent coronavirus infection is not currently available. People should follow these tips to help prevent respiratory illnesses of any kind:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wash your hands especially after coughing and sneezing, before and after caring for an ill person, and before preparing foods and before eating.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact (such as kissing, sharing cups, or sharing eating utensils) with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.
- Stay home when you are sick, except when you need to get medical care.
- Wash hands after animal contact and after visiting farms, markets, barns, petting zoos, and agricultural fairs.
- Avoid contact with animals who are sick.
How can I learn more about coronaviruses?
- Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/index.html.
Travel: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Canceling or Postponing Travel
Should I cancel my trip?
Are layovers included in CDC’s recommendation to avoid nonessential travel?
Yes. Layovers at airports in destinations with level 3 travel notices are included in CDC’s recommendation to avoid nonessential travel. If a layover is unavoidable, CDC recommends that travelers not leave the airport. Travelers with layovers may still be subject to screening and monitoring when entering the United States.
I don’t want to travel because of COVID-19. Can CDC help me get a refund from my airline or cruise line?
Each company establishes its own refund policies, and CDC cannot intervene to get them to change their policies. Some companies may base their policies on CDC’s travel health notices. The decision to post or change the level of a travel health notice is based on the best available science and takes into account numbers of cases, sustained spread, geographic spread of cases, risk to travelers, and other factors. https://www.cdc.gov/
In some cases, trip cancellation insurance can protect your financial investment in a trip if you need to change your itinerary in the event of an international outbreak. https://wwwnc.cdc.
Air or Cruise Travel
Is it safe to go on a cruise?
Cruises put large numbers of people, often from countries around the world, in frequent and close contact with each other. This can promote the spread of respiratory viruses, such as the virus that causes COVID-19. You may get sick from close contact with an infected person or by touching contaminated surfaces.
CDC recommends travelers, particularly those with underlying health issues, defer all cruise ship travel at this time. To reduce spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, CDC recommends:
- Older adults and travelers with underlying health issues should avoid situations that put them at increased risk for more severe disease. This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.
- Discuss cruise ship travel with your healthcare provider prior to travel.
- 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, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Stay in your cabin when you are sick and let the onboard medical center know immediately if you develop a fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), begin to feel feverish, or have other symptoms (such as cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, or sore throat).
What is the risk of getting COVID-19 on an airplane?
Because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes, most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on airplanes. Although the risk of infection on an airplane is low, travelers should try to avoid contact with sick passengers and wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer that contain 60%-95% alcohol.
For more information: Exposure Risk During Travel
What happens if there is a sick passenger on a flight?
Under current federal regulations, pilots must report to CDC all illnesses and deaths before arriving to the United States. If a sick traveler is considered to be a public health risk, CDC works with local and state health departments and international public health agencies to contact passengers and crew exposed to that sick traveler-according to CDC disease protocols.
Be sure to give the airline your current contact information when booking your ticket.
Returning from Travel
How are travelers from China being screened when they enter the United States?
At this time, American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and family members (as specified in the Presidential Proclamation external icon) who have been in China in the past 14 days will be allowed to enter the United States. Those travelers will be directed to one of 11 US airports and will be screened for fever and symptoms and asked questions about their travel in China and exposure. Those travelers will have some level of restriction on their movement depending on their health and travel history.
For more information: Travelers from China Arriving in the United States
What if I recently traveled to an area affected by COVID-19 and got sick?
If you were in a country with a COVID-19 outbreak and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, within 14 days after you left, you should
- Seek medical advice – Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
- Avoid contact with others.
- Not travel on public transportation while sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to avoid spreading the virus to others.
- Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
- If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%-95% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Business Travel
After returning from China, when can employees return to work?
Currently, anyone who enters the United States after being in China during the past 14 days will have some level of restrictions on their movements.
- Travelers from Hubei Province will be quarantined and actively monitored in a location to be determined by public health authorities for up to 14 days.
- Travelers from other parts of China who do not have any symptoms are being asked to monitor their health and practice social distancing for 14 days.
Social distancing means remaining out of:
- Public places where close contact with others may occur (such as shopping centers, movie theaters, stadiums).
- Workplaces (unless the person works in an office space that allows distancing from others).
- Schools and other classroom settings.
- Local public transportation (such as on a bus, subway, taxi, ride share, plane, ship)
These restrictions are to be in effect for 14 days from the time the person was possibly exposed.
For more information: Guidance for Businesses and Employers
Should businesses recommend facemasks or other protective equipment during travel?
CDC does not recommend travelers wear facemasks to protect themselves from COVID-19. You may choose to wear a mask, but it is more important that you take these steps.
We recommend that everyone follow everyday prevention practices:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- 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 using a regular household cleaning product.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%-95% alcohol
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