Compiled By Maria Lopez-Bernstein

Listening to the news about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) can be scary – and the rapidly evolving situation can be confusing to some, especially upon hearing contradicting or misinformation.

To date, there are three confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Montgomery County, Maryland, reported Governor Larry Hogan in a press conference March 5 in which he declared a state of emergency.

According to health experts, there will be more cases.

Although health and science experts say to take this seriously and be vigilant, they say avoid panic. The best course of action is to become better informed about COVID-19 and take precautions to prevent the transmission of this and other more common viruses such as the common cold and flu.

Background

In December 2019, Chinese health officials announced they were investigating a pneumonia outbreak of unknown etiology (cause) in the city of Wuhan, China. At that time, it was reported that many of the cases were linked to a seafood and animal market in Wuhan. Since then, health officials have reported that the outbreak was caused by a novel coronavirus, and the illness has been named "coronavirus disease 2019" (abbreviated "COVID-19").

Since then, thousands of cases have been reported and some cases have been fatal. Cases of COVID-19 have been identified elsewhere in China, and in other countries, including in the United States.

About Coronaviruses

There are many viruses in the coronavirus family that can cause illness in both humans and animals. Several coronaviruses commonly circulate among people all of the time, and cause mild to moderate illnesses, such as the common cold. Other coronaviruses commonly circulate only in animals. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people as has been seen with MERS and SARS.

Symptoms of COVID-19

Commonly reported symptoms of COVID-19 infection include:

Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath
Pneumonia

While the exact incubation period for this coronavirus has not yet been determined, it is believed that most infected people will develop symptoms 2-14 days after they were exposed.

Transmission

Many of the patients in the pneumonia outbreak caused by COVID-19 in Wuhan, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, the person-to-person spread is now widely occurring.

Prevention

There is no vaccine available for COVID-19. In general, people can protect themselves and others against respiratory viruses by taking the following precautions:

Wash your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap & water.
Cover your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
If you are sick, stay home from work or school.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Practice good health habits.

It's not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against coronavirus infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.

Diagnosis

Currently, testing for COVID-19 can only be done at certain public health laboratories. Clinical laboratories do not have the ability to test for this particular virus, though they do have the ability to test for the other, more common coronaviruses that circulate in people all the time.

Treatment

People with COVID-19 should receive supportive care. There is no specific antiviral treatment for this illness.

Should You Be Concerned?

Currently, risk assessment is as follows:

For most of the American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low.
People in communities where ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated, though still relatively low risk of exposure.
Healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 are at elevated risk of exposure.

Close contacts of persons with COVID-19 also are at elevated risk of exposure.
Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring also are at elevated risk of exposure.

Stay Informed

It’s important to be updated with the latest information that is based on science and fact so that we can make informed decisions about how to take care of ourselves and our families and stay healthy. These are some helpful resources:

Guidance from the Maryland Department of Health for people who have recently traveled to or from China.

Notices and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for travelers to other countries.

Travel Advisories from the U.S. Department of State

Click here for news from Governor Larry Hogan’s office

Coronavirus Cases in the U.S. - Centers for Disease Control

Assessing and Managing Risk Based on Different Exposures to COVID-9 – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

—Sources: Maryland Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention