03/11/20

Coronavirus Concerns? Create a Plan.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the recent coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) a global public health emergency. This dramatic spread has prompted the CDC to issue a warning to the American public to expect COVID-19 to spread throughout the country and to take proactive steps to prepare.

What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family, and it first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, runny nose, cough and breathing trouble. While most people experience mild symptoms, some may develop more severe symptoms, which can be fatal.

Taking Action
On Feb. 25. the CDC asked the American public to work with health officials to prepare for the inevitable countrywide spread of COVID-19. According to the CDC, the best way to prevent is the spread of COVID-19 is to avoid it. As such, the organization has recommended travelers avoid nonessential travel to China and South Korea, and postpone nonessential travel to Iran, Italy and Japan, where there are many confirmed COVID-19 cases. The CDC also recommends avoiding close contact with people who are sick and refraining from touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Frequent handwashing and disinfection of commonly touched surfaces are also advised in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Now is a good time to keep informed, review your emergency and disaster response plans and to focus on managing the risks with proactive protocols both at work and at home. Planning and prevention is key. For more information on COVID-19, click here.

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