The Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to cause fatalities across the globe, currently over 1,700 as it spreads, also impacting travel and leisure industries. 

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Every day the <a href="https://www.crosscountryhealthcare.com/blogs/2019-novel-coronavirus" target="_blank">coronavirus (COVID-19)</a> is in the news and making headlines. Recently, much of the discussion has centered on the issue of the 14-day quarantine mandated for those potentially infected with the virus. According to Hank Drummond, Chief Clinical Officer at Cross Country Healthcare, it’s important to understand why the World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested this length of time for quarantine. 
“The WHO is not currently considering a change to its recommended 14-day quarantine period,” says Drummond. “Despite new research by a team of Chinese scientists that has suggested the new coronavirus could have a long incubation period of up to 24 days.”

Last week, Singapore’s Ministry of Health said more evidence is still needed as it is difficult to determine from the paper if the outlier figure is due to errors or bias in the study’s methodology. The study, <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/research-shows-3-day-median-incubation-period-for-coronavirus" target="_blank">led by infectious diseases expert Zhong Nanshan</a>, defined the incubation period as the duration from the contact of the transmission source to the onset of symptoms. It found the medium incubation period was three days, based on the data from 1,099 patients from 552 hospitals in China. 

“Scientists from around the globe have been working around the clock to shed light on the nature of the new coronavirus, which has now killed over 1,700 people and tens of thousands infected worldwide,” says Drummond. “In addition, the virus has impacted the travel and leisure industries as well, as more people pause to consider whether they should travel during this time.”

<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/14-americans-evacuated-cruise-ship-japan-test-positive/story?id=69026322" target="_blank">More than 300 Americans</a> who were passengers aboard a cruise ship quarantined at sea in Japan have now evacuated the country on two flights chartered by the U.S. government. After disembarking from the cruise ship, 14 of the passengers were found to be infected by with the novel coronavirus prior to boarding the charter planes. The passengers, who had been tested a couple days earlier, were moved in the most expeditious and safe manner to a specialized containment area on the evacuation aircraft to isolate them in accordance with standard protocols, according to a joint statement from the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Upon arrival, all passengers will remain under quarantine for 14 days. Those who develop symptoms in flight and those with positive test results will remain isolated on board the aircraft until they are transported to "an appropriate location for continued isolation and care," according to the joint statement.

“Protecting yourself and your family is of key importance and even more heightened now that this infectious virus is on the rise,” says Drummond. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/60e0ea28-043c-36e7-a1b9-a90359655dbb" target="_blank">The death toll in China</a> is now approaching 1,900 and more than 73,000 people are infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, there were 15 reported cases in the United States as of Sunday afternoon, according to the WHO. The patients are in Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. All but two of the U.S. cases are linked to travel to Wuhan, China.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 causes symptoms similar to pneumonia, ranging from mild, such as a slight cough, to more severe, including fever and difficulty breathing. There is no vaccine yet for the virus, nor any known effective therapeutics.
	
“Here at Cross Country Healthcare, we will continue to partner with our clients across the U.S. to ensure our staff are adhering to any and all protocols to ensure the safety of all parties,” says Drummond. “We will keep our team members informed of any changes and keep abreast of any new protocols.
	
“We also have a Clinical Hotline (800-998-5058) available to our clients and staff to answer any questions related to this topic or any topic that comes into question. Healthcare professionals are locking arms with the experts in the field so that we can assist to decrease in the spread of this virus to the best of our abilities.”

Coronavirus Latest: Global Outlook Darkens as Virus Continues to Spread