As the number of deaths caused by the Wuhan novel coronavirus (WN-CoV) continues to rise, more and more measures are being taken to try and control its spread.

The new virus was identified by Chinese authorities on 7th January. According to the World Health Organization, it was of immediate concern because as it was not known how it would affect people.

Temporarily named “2019-nCoV” and now referred to as WN-CoV, the virus is part of the family or coronaviruses. This family includes the common cold, as well as viruses such as SARS, which infected thousands of people between 2002 and 2004 and claimed 774 lives.

Whilst there is no specific cure or vaccine for Wuhan novel coronavirus, the UK government has only just made the decision to start quarantining people coming to Britain from Wuhan.

Fortunately, according to the Department of Health, of the 97 people already tested for coronavirus in the UK all have been confirmed negative. However, it is still possible that people with the virus may present themselves at hospital A&E departments or doctors’ surgeries over the coming weeks.

So how can hospitals tackle the spread of WN-Cov?

Public Health England has put together comprehensive guidance for healthcare professionals and facilities that may be involved in the investigation or management and care of possible cases. Just click here to see this coronavirus infection prevention and control advice.

Covering everything from patient isolation to environmental decontamination, waste disposal and more, this guide is packed with useful advice for protecting patients, staff and visitors.

For example, it advises that “After cleaning [patient rooms/environments] with neutral detergent, a chlorine-based disinfectant should be used, in the form of a solution at a minimum strength of 1,000ppm available chlorine.”

You might also want to try using Virusolve+. This high level cleaner and disinfectant has been proven in an independent EN14476 test to be effective against Feline Coronavirus (human surrogate for SARS).

Whilst it has obviously not yet been possible to test its effectiveness against WN-CoV, at least it has already been shown to be effective against another dangerous virus in the coronavirus family.

If you are interested in finding out more about Virusolve+.

Allaying public concerns about Wuhan novel coronavirus

You can also help members of the public that visit your hospital or surgery by directing them to useful online advice from the World Health Organization at this link: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

It has some great tips on hand hygiene and how to stay safe when out and about or travelling.