SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE US ALL

The Mississippi Hospital Association is the statewide trade organization dedicated to effectively serving the health care needs of Mississippi through serving those who serve us all - our state's hospitals and their employees.

Advocacy. Education. Information. Service. Since 1931.



Updates and Resources on Novel Coronavirus (2019-CoV)

The Mississippi Hospital Association is working closely with the Mississippi State Department of Health and other state and federal agencies to provide hospitals and health systems with relevant information about the current status of the coronavirus outbreak.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) continue to monitor a coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, and resulted in growing numbers of cases and deaths. The virus originated from an animal reservoir but is now known to be transmissible from human to human.There are now over 20,000 confirmed cases in China and 146 outside of China, including 13 confirmed cases in the United States.

The Mississippi State Department of Health is monitoring the outbreak and encourages all Mississippi health care providers to identify suspected cases, place suspected cases in appropriate isolation. Providers are asked to consider 2019-nCoV infection in persons with fever and/or symptoms of lower respiratory illness within 2 weeks of travel to Hubei Provence in China (including the city of Wuhan) or within 2 weeks of contact with a confirmed or suspected case.

If you have a suspected case, it is anticipated that the best location of treatment is your hospital assuming you have the appropriate isolation capabilities and treatments. MSDH will assist with testing for coronavirus. Results should be available within 48 hours based on current volumes. Providers are asked to report suspected cases to the MSDH Office of Epidemiology at 601-576-7725 (601-576-7400 after hours). Read the Mississippi Health Alert Network Advisory here. 

On January 30, the World Health Organization declared the Wuhan coronavirus "a public health emergency of international concern" as nearly 10,000 cases have been reported worldwide. On January 31, the Trump administration declared a public health emergency in the United States. U.S. citizens who have been in China's Hubei province during the past 14 days and are returning to the U.S. will undergo health screenings and be monitored during mandatory quarantines of up to 14 days. It is the first quarantine order issued in over 50 years, according to the CDC. As an additional precaution, any U.S. citizen who has been anywhere else in mainland China will be screened when they return for evidence of coronavirus symptoms. They will also be subject to self-quarantines of up to 14 days and monitored by local health officials. All flights from China to the U.S. will land at 11 select airports as ports of entry. The administration has not invoked any travel bans, but the U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory.

Register for AHA member webinar Feb. 21 with Providence St. Joseph Health, which treated the first patient in the U.S. with COVID-19.

Resources:
- AHA Coronavirus Update (Feb. 18)
- CDC updates 2019-nCoV guidance for health care personnel (Feb. 10)
- CMS State Survey Information for Healthcare Facilities (Feb. 6)
- MSDH Health Alert (Feb. 6)
- FDA's emergency authorization for coronavirus test kits (Feb. 4)
- CDC's Updated Infection Prevention & Control Guidance (Feb. 3)
- CDC's Healthcare Provider & Hospital Preparedness Checklists
- CDC's Information for Laboratories
- AHA Quality Advisory
- CDC Interim Guidance
- CDC Situation Summary
- U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory
- ECRI Institute's Coronavirus Outbreak Preparedness Center

Questions? Contact Joyce Pearson, director of MHA's Office of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness, at (601) 368-3228 or jpearson@mhanet.org.