Health officials still don't know everything about the novel coronavirus that has killed nearly 3,000 people around the world.
But they do know this: Without a vaccine available yet, you are a good line of defense in controlling the spread of the virus.
Health departments are urging people to review (or make) plans for handling a family emergency, practice good personal hygiene, arm themselves with reliable information _ CDC.gov is the recommended source _ get a flu shot and most of all, don't panic.
"Our greatest enemy right now is not the virus itself. It's fear, rumors and stigma," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday.
"Most cases can still be traced to known contacts or clusters of cases. We do not see evidence as yet that the virus is spreading freely in communities. As long as that's the case, we still have a chance at containing this virus."
So far there have been about 60 confirmed cases of the virus in the United States, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease physician with the University of Kansas Health System, has gotten texts and emails from worried friends.
"I try to calm them down," he said, by pointing out the small number of cases in the U.S. "For the most part, people are being vigilant.
"We don't know fully the infection dynamics and the demographics of the people that are going to suffer severe disease. That being said, I certainly wouldn't want any of my loved ones to get it, as most people don't want their loved ones to get any infection, even influenza."
The CDC calls them nonpharmaceutical interventions _ NPIs, those things, other than taking medicine, people can do to help slow the spread of pandemic illnesses in their communities.
"We had these same discussions when H1N1 (swine flu) presented itself" in 2009, said Nancy Tausz, health services director for the Johnson County health department, who discusses the virus on a podcast posted on the county's website.
"Obviously, everyone needs to be aware of the situation. Right now, our risk is still low in our area. But ... you can't control diseases. I think people should look at plans, look at their lifestyle, their work, their child care, their school ... be aware."
Mostly, these are the same steps the CDC recommends for preventing the spread of the flu and the common cold.
_ Practice good personal hygiene. Boring as it sounds, wash your hands. Scrub them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. One way to keep track: Sing "Happy Birthday" twice.
_ Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
_ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or direct it into the crook of your elbow instead of into your hand. Don't just let those sneezes fly. If you sneeze into a tissue, throw it away, then wash your hands.
_ Avoid touching your face _ your eyes, nose and mouth. Be aware of this. You might surprise yourself how often you do this.
_ Avoid sick people, and stay home when you are sick, which experts know won't be possible for everyone.
_ Keep your environment clean. Wipe down door handles, counters, workstations, phones and other surfaces that are touched frequently, especially if someone gets sick. Experts say the virus can be killed by most household cleaners and, for now, there's no reason to go above and beyond routine cleaning, the CDC says. "We think it can live on surfaces and be viable on surfaces for up to nine days," said Hawkinson.
The CDC currently advises businesses to encourage sick employees to stay home. It also recommends that employees who show up with signs of an acute respiratory illness _ they're coughing or short of breath _ or who get sick at work "be separated from other employees and be sent home immediately."
The CDC also recommends that businesses not require employees to get a doctor's note to validate their illness or return to work because health care providers "may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way."
If you don't already have one, create an emergency plan for your family.
The Department of Homeland Security has a suggested plan posted on its "pandemic" web page, which recommends that before a pandemic is declared you:
_ Check to make sure you have a "continuous supply" of your prescription drugs. There are concerns that the outbreak might make supplies of medical products and drugs _ for both humans and animals _ hard to come by, especially those made with ingredients that come from China, the epicenter of the emergency. The Food and Drug Administration is working with manufacturers to mitigate shortages.
_ Make sure you have nonprescription drugs and other health supplies ready, including cough and cold medicines, vitamins and pain relievers.
_ Get copies of and store electronic versions of your health records.
The CDC also recommends asking your employer if it's possible to work from home if schools and day cares should shut down. If that's not possible, talk to other family members, neighbors and others to make alternative child care plans.
If the virus spreads into local communities, local and state officials could face tough decisions about temporarily closing schools and canceling big public gatherings to stop an outbreak.
If a pandemic is officially declared _ that hasn't happened in the United States yet _ that would amp up the CDC's safety recommendations for individuals. They might be asked to isolate themselves at home if someone in the household gets sick. Or, the CDC might advise infected people to wear masks.
But health officials say there's no reason for people who aren't sick to wear a mask, for now. Consider: When you're at the doctor or urgent care, it's the coughing patients who are asked to wear a mask, not the well people.
At this point, "the CDC does not recommend that the general public go around wearing masks," said Hawkinson.
The virus is spread through droplets in the air _ a cough is a symptom of coronavirus _ and those droplets can get around the edges of masks, he said, meaning a mask won't stop "your chance of getting the infection."
It's different for health care workers who wear masks, he said, because they get up close, face-to-face, with infected patients.
"We don't want to say everybody go out and get a mask right now," said Tausz. "That would totally depend on the situation in the community at that time, and we would put out recommendations for that."
