The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Feb. 13 confirmed a 15th case of the new coronavirus in the United States. This patient is among a group of people under quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland after returning from Hubei Province, China. More than 600 people who returned to the United States on chartered flights from Wuhan remain under quarantine.
As of Feb. 18, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 73,332 cases of the new coronavirus and 1,873 related deaths worldwide.
WHO Announces Virus Name, Response Efforts
During a Feb. 11 press briefing, the WHO gave the virus an official name: COVID-19.
“We had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD. “Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing.
CDC Updates Guidance for Providers
The CDC issued guidance to aid in risk assessment, monitoring, and work restriction decisions for health care providers with potential COVID-19 exposure. The guidance includes frequently asked questions about the use of personal protective equipment and strategies for optimizing the supply of N95 filtering face piece respirators.
Visit the America’s Essential Hospitals coronavirus resource page for more information about the outbreak.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
