News and information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) is changing rapidly. We wanted to give you some background information on the virus as well as an update on the steps the Cooper team has taken to handle potential cases of coronavirus.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that the immediate health risk from coronavirus for the American public remains low, more cases are expected across the country. As with other hospitals across the country, Cooper is receiving patients with symptoms similar to coronavirus (fever, cough, and shortness of breath). Patients who have traveled to areas where the incidence of the virus is high, or have been in close contact with those who have, are immediately put in isolation rooms. If the patient fits specific clinical criteria, they are tested for the virus. To date, no Cooper patient has been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19).
Below are some helpful FAQs on coronavirus (COVID-19):
What is coronavirus (COVID-19)? On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the coronavirus outbreak. The new name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a new coronavirus that has not previously been seen.
Who is at risk for coronavirus (COVID-19)? Currently, those at greatest risk of infection are persons who have had prolonged, unprotected close contact with a patient with symptomatic, confirmed COVID-19. Close contact is defined by the CDC as (a) being within approximately six feet of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time; close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case, or (b) having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (such as being coughed or sneezed on). Similar to the flu, people who are older than 65, or have chronic illnesses or a weak immune system, are more vulnerable to being infected by COVID-19.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)? According to the CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 may appear two to 14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
Is there a vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19)? While there is currently no vaccine available for COVID-19, several are being tested. At this time, doctors and APNs can recommend typical remedies for any viral illness: rest, medicine to reduce pain and fever, and fluids to avoid dehydration. COVID-19 patients with pneumonia may also need oxygen, and a ventilator if breathing trouble worsens.
How does coronavirus (COVID-19) compare to the flu? It is also important to keep this new infectious threat in proper perspective. Although this is potentially a serious public health threat that we are watching very closely, we would like to remind everyone about the very active flu season we are currently experiencing in New Jersey and across the region and of the dangers the flu poses to our communities. Indeed, the flu has already killed far more people in the United States just this season than this novel COVID-19 has killed worldwide. If you have not received a flu shot, please do so soon. The more people who are vaccinated against the flu will mean fewer cases of influenza, and will result in more lives saved.
Please know that our infectious disease and infection prevention teams have been diligently preparing to handle any coronavirus cases. We are taking a number of steps across the health system to deal with coronavirus and keep our staff, patients, and visitors safe. The following information is important for you to know at this time:
- Stay informed with the most current information. The CDC website (cdc.gov) is a good source for information, including travel guidelines. As of now, China, Iran, Italy, Japan, and South Korea are areas where the virus is widespread.
- Practice good hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and avoid touching your face. This is the best way to prevent infection from any virus, including the flu that is more prevalent now.
- If you are sick, you should stay home.
- Our infection prevention team, infectious disease physicians, and disaster medicine physicians are on call to rapidly address any possible cases of coronavirus.
- Last week, Cooper activated its Incident Management Team (IMT), which is available 24 hours a day at 856.968.7900 for you to report suspected cases or to ask questions. For up-to-date information from the IMT, you can click the Fast Command link here or find the link on the bottom of the homepages of the Pulse and Cooper website.
- Our clinical teams, access-center representatives, and schedulers are receiving the latest updates and guidance in order to screen our patients to identify any potential coronavirus cases.
- In the hospital, we have identified specific isolation areas so that normal operations can continue safely in the event Cooper receives patients infected with the coronavirus.
- Our supply chain team is monitoring our stock of supplies, including PPE, to ensure we have everything necessary to treat any suspected coronavirus patients.
- If you are returning from international travel, please reach out to your supervisor or manager prior to returning to work.
The links above will help you stay informed. While we will continue to update our clinical teams regularly, we will only send all-employee emails on the coronavirus as major developments become available.
Thank you for your continued efforts to keep our patients, visitors, and Cooper team members as safe as possible.