January 26, 2020
By NYC Health
Recently, a novel (new) coronavirus was detected in hundreds of people worldwide. A “novel coronavirus” is a strain that has not been previously found in humans. This novel coronavirus can lead to fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Most people who were first diagnosed with this infection reported exposure to a large seafood and live animal market in Wuhan, China. Recently, people with this infection did not report contact with this market. This means that person-to-person spread is occurring. No people have been diagnosed with this novel coronavirus in New York State.
If you are planning any travel outside the US, visit the CDC’s Travelers’ Health webpage for the latest travel health notices.
If you recently traveled to China and have a fever and cough or shortness of breath, you should:
- Seek medical care right away. Before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
- After you have been seen by a medical provider, stay home and avoid contact with others until you are well.
- Avoid travel on any public transportation (such as bus, subway, train, r airplane) until the illness resolves.
- Wear a mask if you need to leave your home when sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
- Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Hospital staff will not ask you about your immigration status. You will be seen regardless of ability to pay.
For more information, visit cdc.gov/wuhan.
Novel Coronavirus Outbreak Factsheet (PDF)
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Coronavirus Patient Card (PDF)
Other Languages: 中文 | 简体中文
If you are a medical provider, see our Novel Respiratory Virus page.