The new coronavirus, originally known as 2019-nCoV, was first detected in Wuhan City in China’s Hubei Province and continues to spread. In February, WHO announced an official name for the disease that is causing the outbreak: COVID-19.
Resources that industrial hygienists and other occupational health and safety professionals may find useful during the coronavirus outbreak are collected on this page. The information will be updated as needed.
Novel Coronavirus Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- CDC’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus page links to information for healthcare professionals, public health professionals, and laboratories. A frequently updated summary of the latest developments related to the outbreak is also available.
- Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Confirmed 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or Patients Under Investigation for 2019-nCoV in Healthcare Settings.
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), February 2020
- FAQs about Respirators and their Use
- Healthcare Supply of Personal Protective Equipment
- Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators
- What Healthcare Personnel Should Know about Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Possible 2019-nCoV Infection
OSHA:
- OSHA’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus page includes links to sources on hazard recognition, relevant OSHA standards, medical information, and control and prevention.
- 1910.134 App D - (Mandatory) Information for Employees Using Respirators When not Required Under Standard
World Health Organization:
- WHO’s Novel Coronavirus page is the source for daily updates to the official statistics concerning the size of the outbreak and countries affected.
AIHA Resources:
- The Role of the Industrial Hygienist in a Pandemic provides guidance for industrial hygienists on protecting general workers, healthcare workers, and management to protect workers in a flu pandemic.
- Incident Safety and Health Management Handbook addresses planning and execution during various disasters response operations. It provides technical information on air monitoring, respiratory protection, and personal protective equipment, and offers guidelines for an effective response to an all-hazards threat environment.
Other Resources:
- 3M: Respiratory Protection for Airborne Exposures to Biohazards
- Council of Canadian Academies: Influenza Transmission and the Role of Personal Protective Respiratory Equipment: An Assessment of the Evidence
- The Change Foundation: Protecting the Faces of Health Care Workers: Knowledge Gaps and Research Priorities for Effective Protection Against Occupationally-Acquired Respiratory Infectious Diseases
- American Chemistry Society virtual issue on chemistry in coronavirus research
SENDING SUPPLIES TO CHINA
Please read the Appeal for Altruistic and Humanitarian Donations from Laurence Svirchev, CIH, MA, BSc, who serves as ambassador to China for AIHA’s International Affairs Committee.
3M facilitates the following options for donating to response efforts:
- Contribute to Direct Relief, a 3M humanitarian aid partner.
- Contribute to charities in China through 3M's global grantmaking partner GlobalGiving.
