As hospitals and health systems raise concerns over possible shortages of personal protective equipment, including respirators, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to update its guidance and provide strategies that health care providers can use during the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) outbreak now and in the event of a shortage of N95 respirators.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed two new U.S. cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total to 15. Both individuals returned to the U.S. Feb. 7 on a State Department flight from Hubei Province, China, and were in federal quarantine at JBSA-Lackland base in Texas.

CDC expects more COVID-19 cases in the U.S., including among the more than 600 individuals who recently returned from Wuhan, the outbreak’s epicenter. Nancy Messonnier, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said yesterday that more than 30,000 passengers entering the U.S. from China have been screened for the virus.

After several days of case declines in China, the World Health Organization today said COVID-19 cases increased significantly because of “a change in how cases are diagnosed and reported.”

“In Hubei province only, a trained medical professional can now classify a suspected case of COVID-19 as a clinically-confirmed case on the basis of chest imaging, rather than a laboratory confirmation,” said Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme.

As of today, WHO reported 46,997 confirmed cases, the majority in China. 

For the latest information and resources, visit AHA’s coronavirus webpage.
 

Related News Articles

Headline
The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center announced Oct. 15 that it will award $37.5 million in grants to 75 hospitals seeking to…
Headline
There have been 1,596 confirmed cases of measles across the U.S. this year, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.…
Headline
The AHA’s social media toolkit for spreading awareness of the flu focuses on the beginning of fall and the availability of the flu vaccine for at-risk,…
Headline
Measles cases have been reported by 42 states and jurisdictions this year, with 1,563 total nationwide, according to the latest data released yesterday by the…
Headline
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will update its immunization schedules for the COVID-19 and chickenpox vaccines to adopt recent recommendations…
Headline
AHA’s latest social media toolkit for spreading awareness of the flu focuses on the availability of the flu vaccine for at-risk, vulnerable populations as flu…