Farmington Valley Health District 95 River Road, Suite C ▪ Canton, CT 06019 ▪ Phone (860) 352-2333 ▪ Fax (860) 352-2542 Avon • Barkhamsted • Canton • Colebrook • East Granby • Farmington • Granby • Hartland • New Hartford • Simsbury
What is 2019 novel coronavirus? The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. The most common symptoms are fever and cough, sometimes difficulty breathing. These symptoms can also be due to other illnesses. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China[1].
What is the current risk to people in the Farmington Valley? Person-to-person spread in the United States has not yet been detected so the likelihood of someone in Connecticut and the Farmington Valley getting sick with this virus is very low at this time. All current cases in the United States can be linked back to individuals with exposure in Wuhan City, China. Individuals at greatest risk of developing 2019-nCoV are those that have recently traveled to Wuhan and had prolonged exposure to individuals with confirmed illness.
While the risk to the general public of developing 2019-nCoV is very low, there are precautions that everyone should take to keep themselves healthy, especially during the flu season. 1. Wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer frequently throughout the day; especially before you eat, touch your face or sneeze or cough. 2. Stay home if you are sick 3. Limit any time spent with ill individuals 4. Cover your sneeze or cough, then wash hands 5. Get your flu shot if you haven’t done so already. Call your local health department/district or local pharmacy for availability.
For regular updates on the virus, please monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
The second link is to a one-page fact sheet on what is currently known about the virus.
This information is subject to change as additional information is learned. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf
[1] CDC: 2019 Novel Coronavirus and You Fact Sheet, retrieved from www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf 
