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Effective Feb. 22, 2020, information about the University of Alaska's response to novel coronavirus/COVID-19 will be available at alaska.edu/coronavirus19

State department upgrades China travel advisory

The U.S. State Department earlier this week upgraded the travel advisory for China to "Level 4 - Do not travel." That means you should not travel to China and, if you are already in China, you should attempt to depart by commercial means. For more information on travel to China, visit the State Department's China travel advisory.

For information about this novel coronavirus, including symptoms and prevention actions, visit the CDC coronavirus information page.

Novel coronavirus update

The World Health Organization has declared a “public health emergency of international concern” in regards to the novel coronavirus that has been spreading in China and other countries.

There have been no cases of the virus reported in Alaska, and very few in the rest of the United States. The cases in the U.S. have been in people who recently returned from China and and there is no indication that the virus is spreading in the U.S.  The Centers for Disease Control and the Alaska Section of Epidemiology indicate that the risk of contracting the virus in the U.S. is extremely low for the general population.

The virus causes respiratory illness similar to influenza.  Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. If you have recently traveled to China or another country where cases of coronavirus have been reported, and experience these symptoms, seek medical attention. Please call your health care provider or hospital before you go to their offices and they will give you instructions.

If you are planning to travel out of the U.S., be sure to check the CDC travel advisories.

For more information about coronavirus, as well as information about prevention of this and other viruses, visit the CDC online.