Huntington Hospital Infectious Disease Doctor Tells You What You Need to Know About the Novel Coronavirus

Being clean and being careful can sometimes mean the difference between staying healthy and getting sick, and the same can apply to the current novel coronavirus scare, says Dr. Kimberly Shriner, an infectious disease specialist affiliated with Pasadena’s Huntington Hospital.

This week the hospital published a Q&A with Dr. Shriner about coronaviruses and the novel coronavirus, also known as 2019-nCoV, which is causing an outbreak of respiratory illness that began in Wuhan City, in the Hubei Province of China.

Dr. Shriner received her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years, most of them with Huntington Hospital.

She stresses that the new coronavirus is one of a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe disease such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The new strain has not been previously identified in humans.

“Although we are still learning about this virus, we know from previous respiratory illness outbreaks that vigilance, good infection control measures and education about the virus are effective ways to prevent transmission,” Dr. Shriner says in the Q&A. “Upper respiratory illnesses are common during the winter and often resolve with just supportive measures. This virus is still very rare in the United States. As with any respiratory illness, prolonged fever, severe shortness of breath, chest pain or profound weakness warrant a call to your doctor.”

Health officials worldwide are trying to stop the ongoing spread of the virus from Hubei province. Some cases have been reported in the United States and other international locations, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has implemented enhanced screening at about 20 airports in the U.S., including the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

In Pasadena, Huntington Hospital is following CDC guidelines for screening and treatment, according to Dr. Shriner. The hospital says there is so much speculation in the media, and they hope to help in communicating fact-based information about the new strain.

“As of today, Huntington Hospital has not treated any patients identified as having 2019-nCoV. We are screening all patients entering our facility for signs and symptoms of communicable diseases and implementing infection prevention and control practices to protect our patients, visitors, and staff,” Dr. Shriner said.

She reiterates further that basic cleanliness and watchfulness will definitely help in preventing the spread of any disease.

“Everyone in the community should continue to follow basic infection prevention practices – including cleaning hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub, covering your cough, and avoiding close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms,” Dr. Shriner said.

Anyone with any specific health concerns is advised to contact your primary care doctor.

The CDC website, www.cdc.gov, also provides up-to-date, fact-based information about the novel coronavirus and other health concerns.