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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is cooperating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to respond to recent reports of a novel (new) coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing respiratory illness in people and others that circulate mostly among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Common symptoms in an infected person include a fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Since December 2019, mainland Chinese authorities identified thousands human infections, resulting in dozens of deaths, associated with this novel (new) coronavirus in an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, in mainland China. In addition, novel coronavirus infections have been confirmed in numerous travelers who traveled to or came from Wuhan City, including 15 travelers in the United States.
Despite this case in Los Angeles County, there is no immediate threat to the general public, no special precautions are required, and people should not be excluded from activities based on their race, country of origin, or recent travel if they do not have symptoms of respiratory illness. Los Angeles County residents, students, workers, and visitors should continue to engage in their regular activities and practice good public health hygiene as this is the height of flu season across the County. The risk from the novel coronavirus 2019 to spread in Los Angeles County residents is deemed to be low at this time.
If you or someone you know has traveled to Wuhan and feel sick, please:
- Stay home and avoid contact with others, except for seeking medical care.
- 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.
- Do not travel while sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
If you work at a hospital, it is recommended that you:
- Follow standard environmental infection control procedures for healthcare settings.
- Ask all patients about recent travel.
- Post signs that ask students and families to follow standard hygiene practices, such as:
- Washing hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not on hand.
- Covering their nose and mouth with their elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
- Avoiding touching their eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Limiting close contact, like kissing and sharing cups or utensils, with people who are sick.
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Public Health has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translation. However, no computerized translation is perfect and is not intended to replace traditional translation methods. If questions arise concerning the accuracy of the information, please refer to the English edition of the website, which is the official version.
