Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

As the cases of 2019 novel coronavirus continue to grow, the public health response is ramping up. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local and state public health departments are coordinating the clinical testing of possible cases.

The lab of Dr. Alex Greninger, in the virology division of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, is studying the latest genomic information about this emerging virus, and its possible implications for the clinical virology laboratory.

"We can ramp this up relatively quickly in sort of weeks to about a month," Greninger says. "We’re ready for these things all the time. In the last few years, we’ve seen this for enterovirus D68 and Zika virus.”

The CDC and local and state public health departments will continue to conduct the diagnostic laboratory testing required to confirm or rule out the infection in suspected cases.

To prevent the spread of any type of respiratory virus, including coronaviruses, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly, cover your cough or sneeze, keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes, avoid close contact with people who are ill, and stay home when you're sick. Pay attention to travelers' precautions. You can also wear a surgical mask.

If you are experiencing symptoms and are concerned that you might have been exposed, call your care provider first for advice on what to do.

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Dr. Seema Yasmin breaks down everything you should know about the growing Coronavirus outbreak. Is it really as bad as it's depicted in the media? How can you protect yourself? Is it safe to travel to China?

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, talks on TODAY about how much of a threat the coronavirus poses to Americans after the first case of human-to-human transmission has been detected in the U.S.

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The WHO has declared the new coronavirus a global public health emergency—but that doesn't mean you should panic.

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US Coronavirus evacuation flight arriving into March Air Reserve Base 01-26-20

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The novel coronavirus (referred to as 2019-nCoV) has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. This video summarises what we know so far and how to prevent its spread. As an international healthcare provider, we’re keeping a very close eye on things.

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