One of the most recent media covered outbreaks also known as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is creating chaos in the health and financial markets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Department of Health are closely monitoring the outbreak and take measures to stop it from spreading.
As of March 4, 2020, 80 cases have been diagnosed in the United States, including five positive cases in the State of New York. Different state have established forums and news room and are providing real time updates on the situation including number of people who have been tested positive for the virus.
We know this may be concerning to you and your family, and we want to share important information about this outbreak.
Coronavirus test
Your costs in Original Medicare
You usually pay nothing for Medicare-covered clinical diagnostic laboratory tests.
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| Your provider will need to wait until after April 1, 2020 to be able to submit a claim to Medicare for this test. |
What it is
Tests done to help your doctor diagnose or rule out a suspected illness or condition.
Things to know
Medicare also covers preventive tests and screenings to help prevent, find, or manage a medical problem.
What is the coronavirus (COVID-19)
A coronavirus is a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory illnesses. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan City, China and has not previously been seen in humans. COVID-19 causes symptoms such as fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Population at risk
From known reports thus far, Those who are most at risk are older adults, babies, and those with underlying health conditions or compromised immune / respiratory systems. Health care workers caring for patients with the virus should also exercise extreme caution. Currently, the CDC recommends that you avoid travel into or out of China and South Korea.
Is the coronavirus curable?
So far there is no known vaccination to the coronavirus. The best treatment is prevention and many countries have put restrictions on inbound and outbound travelers.
Situation in U.S. (* from cdc website)
- In addition to CDC, many public health laboratories are now testing for the virus that causes COVID-19. View CDC’s Public Health Laboratory Testing map.
- With this increase in testing, now 19 states have reported cases of COVID-19 to CDC. View latest case counts, deaths, and a map of states with reported cases.
- U.S. COVID-19 cases include:
- Imported cases in travelers
- Cases among close contacts of a known case
- Community-acquired cases where the source of the infection is unknown.
Boronavirus Means of Prevention
The best way to prevent any virus from spreading is to:
· Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Using a hand sanitizer can help as well, but washing your hands is always preferable. Teach children early on how to properly wash their hands.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- · Stay home when you are sick.
· Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into the crook of your elbow, not your hands.
· Clean and disinfect surfaces and touching points like doorknobs, handles, light switches, and your phone.
Continue to practice good hygiene to prevent coronavirus, and other severe illnesses like the flu, from spreading.
Traveling
The virus is considered highly contiguous and therefore avoiding places with higher population is probably recommended. Many of the airlines have announced that all tickets cancelled because of the virus will be fully refundable and you can read more about each company’s policy on their website.
More information about the coronavirus