World Health Organization Declares Coronavirus a Global Health Emergency
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Coronavirus outbreak map. PHOTO: CDC
This comes as the virus continues to spread outside of China, including at least five confirmed cases in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China, but what is happening in other countries," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
According to WHO, the death toll in China due to the virus is at 170.
WHO adds that there have been 98 cases in 18 countries outside of China, but no deaths have been reported.
'We don’t know what sort of damage this virus could do if it were to spread in a country with a weaker health system. We must act now to help countries prepare for that possibility," added Adhanom.
RI Dept. of Health Taking Precautions
On Wednesday, the Rhode Island Department of Health announced that they are continuing to work with healthcare providers throughout the state to monitor the virus.
According to the department the coordination has included maintaining a robust system to receive and follow-up on illness reports from Rhode Island healthcare providers.
RIDOH has sent to local healthcare providers summaries of the national situation, criteria to guide the evaluation of patients, and guidance on specimen collection, testing, and reporting.
The department has also established a Novel Coronavirus Task Force to coordinate the preparedness steps being taken throughout the Department.
“RIDOH is taking these steps with healthcare providers throughout the state to ensure that we are ready to respond to this evolving situation. Preparedness and collaboration are core functions of public health,” said Alexander-Scott.
The task force includes leadership from the State Health Laboratories, the Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology, and the Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response, among other areas of RIDOH.
The RI Department of Health suggests the following safety tips:
- Get your flu shot and encourage the people around you to do the same.
- Wash your hands often throughout the day. Use warm water and soap. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand gel.
- Cough or sneeze into your elbow. Flu is spread through coughing or sneezing on other people or into your hands. Cover your coughs and sneezes to prevent others from getting sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods.
- Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant.
About Coronavirus
According to RI Health, coronaviruses are common in many different species of animals, including camels and bats.
Rarely, these coronaviruses can evolve and infect humans and then spread between humans.
Recent examples of this include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
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