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COVID-19 for the Emergency Physicians: What You Need to Know

By Christopher Greene, MD, MPH; and David C. Pigott, MD, RDMS, FACEP | on March 10, 2020 | 5 Comments
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3D illustration of coronavirus COVID-19 under the microscope.
Visit ACEP.org for the latest updates on COVID-19 and resources for emergency physicians.
Listen to ACEP Now Medical Editor in Chief Dr. Jeremy Faust discuss this article in the ACEP Nowcast.

COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus first reported in China on Dec. 31, 2019, has quickly become a global concern, grabbing headlines, necessitating quarantines, and disrupting travel and commerce. Here’s what emergency physicians need to know about the epidemic.

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ACEP Now: Vol 39 – No 03 – March 2020

The first cases of COVID-19 clustered around a “wet market” in Wuhan, Hubei province. Since then, more than 110,000 cases have been reported in more than 80 countries, though the majority of them are in China.1

The first reported U.S. COVID-19 cases have largely followed the early distribution models based on air traffic from Hubei province, clustering in major transport hubs like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.1,2 What we know of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and best approaches to management of COVID-19 relies heavily on what we’ve learned from past outbreaks. As public health and infectious disease specialists scramble to understand a novel viral disease with international implications, emergency and other frontline health care workers need accurate information to prepare their departments for the possibility of encountering patients infected with the virus.

Background and Public Health

If all of this seems reminiscent of the 2003 SARS coronavirus outbreak, that’s because it is. Both outbreaks started with small outbreaks of a severe respiratory disease within fairly isolated Chinese populations, which then escalated rapidly to involve large numbers of patients throughout the region, eventually spreading to far-flung nations along busy commerce and tourism aviation routes.3

The initial Chinese government response to SARS was characterized by efforts to minimize its severity and to avoid public scrutiny. This strategy resulted in a delayed international response and further spread of the disease.3 Despite controversy surrounding potential suppression of early reports of a novel coronavirus in late December 2019, the Chinese public health response to COVID-19 stands in stark contrast with the SARS outbreak.4 Rather than months of suppression, the decision to report the virus to World Health Organization authorities within days enabled an early, robust international response and facilitated genetic sequencing of the virus, potentially fast-tracking efforts to discover effective antiviral therapies and vaccines.5

Specific efforts to contain the disease and decrease its spread implemented during both the SARS outbreak and the current COVID-19 outbreak include instituting quarantines, closing borders, restricting air and sea travel, and closing local markets thought to contribute to animal-human disease transmission.6,7

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 | Single Page

Topics: Centers for Disease Control and PreventioncoronavirusCOVID-19GuidelinesPersonal Protective EquipmentPublic Health

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5 Responses to “COVID-19 for the Emergency Physicians: What You Need to Know”

  1. March 15, 2020

    Nadia T. Reply

    What are the recommendations as to what to do with patients who have mild/moderate symptoms (not to a degree that requires admission) but are PUI due to possible exposure? Do we keep them in isolation in the ED until test results come back? Do you send them home to self quarantine? Also when these mild/moderate cases come back with positive tests results what do you do with them? Admit for isolation? Discharge to self quarantine?

    There seems to be a lot of sound recommendations for severely ill patients but not for those with mild/moderate symptoms…..any guidance would be highly appreciated.

    • May 13, 2020

      Cathy Byrd Reply

      Has acyclovir been used in the treatment for coved19?

  2. April 13, 2020

    Debra Grundman Reply

    Has Valacyclovir been trialed to treat Covid 19 ?

  3. April 15, 2020

    Dr Sanya jain Reply

    Why valacyclovir was not given to covid patient along with antihistamines

  4. May 13, 2020

    Cathy Byrd Reply

    Are the children who are getting this new disease up to date on there vaccinations?

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