Five ways to protect yourself

The novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has now spread to at least 11 countries, infected more than 2,000 people and killed 80 people.

The World Health Organization recommends the following to protect yourself from the potentially deadly virus:

■ Wash your hands frequently and cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue to avoid the spread of germs

■ Avoid close contact with anyone that has a fever or cough

■ If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, see a doctor right away and share your travel history with them

■ Avoid travel to China, especially the Hubei province

■ Continue to protect yourself from other viruses, such as the flu, by getting vaccinated

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the exact means the virus is spread is still unknown. However, person-to-person spread is likely to occur through respiratory droplets that are produced when a sick person coughs or sneezes.

There also may be some spread when a person touches a surface or object that has virus on it and then touches their mouth, nose or possibly their eyes. If you have recently been to Wuhan, China, or were in contact with someone that was, and experience fever, cough and shortness of breath, the CDC recommends seeing a doctor right away.

Healthcare providers that detect those symptoms in patients must notify both infection control personnel at their healthcare facility and their local or state health department, according to the CDC.

No vaccine or specific treatment for the novel coronavirus is currently available. Hospitals must be equipped to identify and isolate patients with coronavirus.