With all of the news surrounding the Novel Coronavirus the past few weeks, many people are scared to travel and possibly expose themselves to the new, dangerous virus. Israel has gone to many lengths to prevent the disease from spreading in Israel. These actions aim to prevent the virus from spreading and allow people to feel safe in Israel.
The Novel Coronavirus is a new kind of virus that started spreading in China. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Coronavirus is a type of virus responsible for specific diseases, such as SARS and MERS, which have high fatality rates – which is why people are so concerned about it.
In December 2019, there was the first outbreak of the novel Coronavirus. This virus causes respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and fever. In more severe cases, the virus can cause pneumonia, kidney failure, gastrointestinal disease, and death. So far there have been hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of infected people, primarily in China. Because of frequent international travel, this illness like so many others have crossed borders to 22+ countries around the world.
The Coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through droplets that come from the infected person. It can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing, talking, and close contact. The same symptoms can be seen in any other viruses, so without blood tests, high risk people (who have traveled to Asia recently) should be considered ill until proven otherwise.
We recommend using standard disease prevention techniques to reduce risk of transmission:
- Hand washing regularly (especially before and after eating, after touching common surfaces such as door handles)
- Use alcohol-based hand hygiene regularly (when not washing hands)
- covering mouth and nose when coughing (not with your hand unless sanitizing immediately afterwards! It is best practice to cough into your flexed elbow/sleeve or a tissue if hand hygiene is performed immediately after),
- avoiding close contact with anyone who is showing symptoms
Since the Novel Coronavirus originated in animals, we also recommend the following specific best practices for disease prevention:
- thoroughly cooking meat and eggs
- avoiding open wild animal markets in Asian countries
- washing hands before and after handling animal products
- avoiding crowded indoor areas in Asian countries (keep a 1 meter distance from anyone who is sick)
- Don’t forget to get good travel health guidance from health professionals before you plan a trip!
Unfortunately, most people develop symptoms up to 2 weeks after exposure and are contagious for that 2-week period when they have no symptoms. In lieu of this, EMA Care recommends using these disease prevention tips at all times – they will also reduce your risk of getting the flu and other illnesses!
The Israel Ministry of Health has implemented a regulation regarding people returning from China or people who may have been exposed to the Novel Coronavirus. These people must remain at home under quarantine for 2 weeks or until confirmed negative laboratory tests are received. It is illegal for them to go to work during this quarantine, but they will receive compensation for their tie in quarantine. Diplomats from the affected region in China have been recalled and quarantined, and