The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is currently monitoring a new outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China and is causing respiratory illness. As apartment owners and operators prepare to mitigate and educate residents on potential exposure, NMHC has put together a list of go-to sites with relevant information.
United States Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- 2019 Novel Coronavirus Overview
- Key OSHA Standards for COVID-19
- Worker’s Rights and Employers’ Responsibilities
- OSHA Respiratory Protection eTool
- Protecting Workers During a Pandemic FactSheet
World Health Organization (WHO)
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
- 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Wuhan China Webpage
- Guidelines for Isolation Precautions
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019
The CDC is closely monitoring the outbreak in the United States. For the most up to date information regarding known cases pleae visit the CDC website. The CDC updates this page regularly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
According to the CDC:
For confirmed COVID-19 infections, reported illnesses have ranged from infected people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. Symptoms can include:
CDC believes at this time that symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS viruses.
According to the CDC:
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS and SARS.
When person-to-person spread has occurred with MERS and SARS, it is thought to have happened mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. Spread of SARS and MERS between people has generally occurred between close contacts.
It’s important to note that how easily a virus spreads person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious (like measles), while other viruses are less so. It’s important to know this in order to better understand the risk associated with this virus. While CDC considers this is a very serious public health threat, based on current information, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 to the general American public is considered low at this time.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- 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.
According to the CDC:
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:
According to the CDC:
There is still a lot that is unknown about the newly emerged 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19 and how it spreads. Two other coronaviruses have emerged previously to cause severe illness in people (MERS and SARS). COVID-19 is more genetically related to SARS than MERS, but both are betacoronaviruses with their origins in bats. While we don’t know for sure that this virus will behave the same way as SARS and MERS, we can use the information from both of these earlier coronaviruses to guide us. In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods. Information will be provided on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus website as it becomes available.
