Coronavirus Update from uabnews on Vimeo.
.Editor's Note: The information published in this story is accurate at the time of publication. Always refer to uab.edu/uabunited for UAB's current guidelines and recommendations relating to COVID-19.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.”
While the risk for Alabamians remains relatively low at this time, University of Alabama at Birmingham officials along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Jefferson County Department of Health and the Alabama Department of Public Health, are closely monitoring the ongoing situation.
In a media conference Thursday, UAB infectious disease physicians Jeanne Marrazzo, M.D., and Rachael Lee, M.D., discussed the latest trends of the virus and its threat to Alabamians, their roles nationally and internationally, UAB Hospital’s extensive expertise in infectious diseases, and the systems in place to monitor and address them. Wesley Willeford, M.D., medical director of Disease Control with the Jefferson County Department of Health, also discussed coordinating coronavirus testing with the CDC and the role the JCDH will play in the event of a confirmed case in central Alabama.
More information about the 2019 novel coronavirus is available on the CDC website.