CORONAVIRUS
Outbreak Response Preparedness is key for hospitals and health systems when responding to an infectious disease outbreak
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is not the first, nor will it be the last,
to care for patients and keep healthcare
infectious disease outbreak to make global headlines.
workers safe,” Dr. Hanrahan said.
“There have been a number of
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SARS, MERS-CoV and Ebola have
Being prepared
outbreaks that have taught us that routine
been transmitted in healthcare facilities
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology
healthcare infection prevention is not
and preventing the spread of infection
of America (SHEA) emphasizes the im-
enough when dealing with a novel infec-
in hospitals is critical to containing
portance of supporting novel Coronavirus
tious disease or an infection that has po-
these infections worldwide.
(2019-nCoV) preparedness efforts with rig-
tential for causing a lot of morbidity and
“These outbreaks have shown that
orous commitment to infection prevention
mortality,” said Jennifer Anne Hanrahan,
emerging pathogen outbreaks can oc-
and science-based decision making. SHEA
DO, an infection disease specialist from
cur with little forewarning and cause
members – healthcare epidemiologists and
the University of Toledo.
disruption to hospitals and their ability
other experts in infection prevention and
April 2020 | The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
