Ready for Novel Corona Virus

Due to the threat of the novel coronavirus, personal protective equipment is in place at all health clinics in the Reykjavík capital area: hospital suits, masks, and more, mbl.is reports. There are no confirmed cases of the virus in Iceland yet. It has, however, spread to a number of countries, see map.

Patients who suspect they carry the virus are kindly asked not to arrive at health clinics unannounced. They should call the phone number 1700 before they arrive, or the number of the clinic they plan to visit.

“We should be well prepared for this,” states Sigríður Dóra Magnúsdóttir, head of clinical care and disease prevention in the capital area.

Officials strive to prepare and coordinate response  at health care clinics, keeping  staff up to date. The Emergency Watch (Læknavaktin) is important as well, providing information over the phone. Their number is 1700.

“The whole community has to be prepared in such circumstances,” a statement from the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, posted yesterday, reads. “Workplaces and institutions must review their contingency plans and be ready, should the virus spread to the country with various consequences.”

The statement encourages people not to travel to China unless they absolutely have to. Þórarinn Guðnason, chief epidemiologist in Iceland, has advised that patients be tested for the virus only if they are suspected to be infected, such as if they have recently arrived from China and are ill.