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Ohio Dept. of Health elevates Coronavirus to Class A disease; no cases reported in Ohio

The health department has declared 2019-nCov an immediately reportable disease.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Health on Friday announced that Coronavirus (2019-nCov) has been declared an immediately reportable disease.

This means that any suspected or confirmed cases of Coronavirus must be reported immediately to the local health district. 

Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton has elevated Coronavirus to a Class A disease to ensure that cases are reported.

No cases of Coronavirus have been reported in Ohio. One case has been reported in Washington state, while another case was confirmed in Chicago Friday morning.

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The recent Coronavirus outbreak stems from Wuhan City, China. More than 800 people in the Wuhan community have fallen ill, while 25 have died. Several travel advisories have been placed on the Wuhan City area to help prevent spread of the illness.

Symptoms of the illness include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Chinese government confirmed human-to-human transmission is occurring with the new coronavirus. 

Anyone who recently traveled to Wuhan and is showing symptoms of  2019-nCoV should stay at home and avoid any contact with other people unless seeking medical attention, the CDC said. Anyone showing symptoms seeking medical care should call the doctor's office or emergency room before arriving and tell them about your symptoms and recent travel.

UPDATE: Cleveland Clinic has released a statement as they continue to monitor the coronovirus situation. 

"We are closely following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization updates regarding this health issue and are following CDC guidance. As part of this, we have added a screening question to identify patients who have recently traveled to China. This is a dynamic situation, and we will continue to evolve and work with our public health partners to inform our approach going forward."

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