Coronavirus update: reconsider travel to China

On January 29, the U.S. Department of State- Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Centers for Disease Control issued a travel advisory urging Americans to reconsider travel to China, because of the coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China.  

State and local health departments are monitoring this emerging public health threat. University emergency management personnel are in regular contact with these agencies. At the present time, there are no confirmed cases in Alaska. 

The John Hopkins website is a useful tool for tracking the Wuhan Coronavirus: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

If you traveled to China in the last 14 days and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, 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.

  • Avoid contact with others.

  • Not travel while 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 water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Please see https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/novel-coronavirus-china and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/novel-coronavirus-2019.html for further updates.