What is “COVID-19”?
Representing manufacturing, production, maintenance and sanitation workers in the baking, confectionery, tobacco and grain milling industries.
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13 Mar What is “COVID-19”?

Posted at 15:24h in Coronavirus by

About the Coronavirus Outbreak

“COVID-19,” a new coronavirus, has been identified as the cause of a cluster of severe pneumonia cases that emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019.

Thousands of contacts are under observation and hundreds of cases have been confirmed in Wuhan. Additional cases have been identified in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the United States. 

About “COVID-19”

The virus is a coronavirus, which is a large family of viruses that can infect animals and/or humans. COVID-19 is similar to the viruses that cause SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).

Symptoms include fever and/or symptoms of lower respiratory illness such as coughing or difficulty breathing.

With some viruses, the infectious period precedes symptoms and with other viruses it coincides with symptoms.

Human-to-human transmission is confirmed. However, whether the disease is transmitted via contact, droplet, or aerosol remains unknown. It is also unknown whether asymptomatic cases are infectious.

Employers Must Keep Workers Safe

There is often debate about what actions to take and when they should be taken in situations where knowledge is lacking about a specific health threat. Employers often prioritize saving money over safe care and wait to act. Delay in action is unacceptable.

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