COVID-19

Update: As of March 12th, 2020, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reports 5 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The number of confirmed cases in the United States is available at the CDC's COVID-19 web page. 

About COVID-19

A new coronavirus is causing an outbreak of pneumonia. The virus was first identified in December 2019, among people who visited a seafood and animal market in Wuhan City, China. Health authorities have confirmed that the virus is able to spread from person to person. Cases have been identified in the United States.

If either of the following is true, call the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) at (505) 827-0006:

• You have fever, cough, or shortness of breath, and in the 14 days before your symptoms started, you visited mainland China or were in contact with a person known to have novel coronavirus.
• You do not have fever, cough, or shortness of breath, but you did travel to mainland China in the last 14 days or were in contact with a person known to have novel coronavirus

(Source: https://nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/ncov/)

Symptoms 

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. Symptoms can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you have visited China within the past two weeks and start to feel ill, call your doctor.

Prevention  

The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. There are simple everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including: 

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

If you are sick, to keep from spreading respiratory illness to others, you should:

• Stay home except to get medical care 
• Call ahead before visiting your doctor
• Wear a facemask
• Cover your coughs and sneezes
• Avoid sharing personal household items
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

Travel Warnings  

CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy. CDC also advises that older adults and those with chronic medical conditions consider postponing nonessential travel to Japan. Travelers should practice the usual precautions when traveling to Hong Kong. If you plan to travel internationally, I encourage you to enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive important messages, alerts, updates, and travel advisories while you are there. 

Further Information 

Experts have been working hard to understand this new strain of coronavirus. Because new information is coming out every day, please visit the sites below to stay up to date. 

The Centers for Disease Control provides updates on the virus and safety information for the public and healthcare professionals. 

The New Mexico Department of Health provides updates on the disease's spread within the state, as well as frequently asked questions available here.

The State Department provides a list of travel advisories for those who are planning to fly outside of the United States.

The safety of your family and our fellow New Mexicans is of the utmost importance. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call my D.C. (202-225-2365) or New Mexico offices (575-323-6384).