A new coronavirus (COVID-19) was recently detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and is causing an outbreak of respiratory illness. The COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019, and Chinese health officials have reported thousands of COVID-19 infections in China.

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• Coughing and sneezing;
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands;
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; and
• Rarely, fecal contamination.

It is not clear yet how easily COVID-19 spreads from person to person. Many of the patients in the pneumonia outbreak caused by COVID-19 in Wuhan, China had some link to a large seafood and a live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread is occurring. There is much more to learn about how it passes from one person to another, severity, and other features associated with COVID-19, and investigations are ongoing.

While COVID-19 is a new respiratory virus, ways to prevent respiratory illness are the same:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• 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.

Click the following link for a video with additional tips on prevention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-lW0s2yJA0