Coronavirus Update
Northern Virginia Community College and other educational institutions in the Virginia region are closely monitoring an outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus (termed “2019-nCoV”). It was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and continues to expand. As this is an evolving situation, we want to keep our students, fellow colleagues, family and community members aware of informational and health resources available to them. The CDC and local health departments deem the risk to the American public to be low; however, there are precautions we can take to prevent the spread of the disease at home, at work or at NOVA.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, ‘Common coronaviruses can cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illness, like the common cold. Public health officials are still learning about 2019-CoV and how it affects people. Some people who have become ill with 2019-CoV have had mild symptoms. Others have had more severe illnesses, including the potential of death. Symptoms include fever, cough, and trouble breathing, and can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.’ Anyone experiencing symptoms should visit a doctor immediately.
For more information from the CDC on the Novel Coronavirus, please see links below. Also below are details from the national level and locally from the Virginia Department of Health: