The city's responses to past outbreaks, interviews with experts, and official guidelines on handling influenza pandemics offer at least a glimpse at the policies health officials might pursue
A New York City Police officer stands at the entrance to Bellevue Hospital during the 2014 Ebola scare. Photo: Bryan Thomas/Getty Images Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been identified in more than 50 countries, and officials around the world are instituting measures to stem the spread of the virus. Switzerland has banned gatherings of 1,000 or more people; Saudi Arabia has stopped pilgrimages to holy sites; and Japan closed its schools for at least a month.
During periods when there is no immediate potential of pandemic on the horizon, the city prepares. Doctors and nurses run drills; working groups offer policy suggestions; information is distributed to the public. Phases four and five are the “pandemic alert period.” Officials watch ports of entry closely. Passengers from affected countries are screened and given informational materials.
When deciding whether to close a school, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — or DOHMH — and school officials will consider a host of factors, including mortality and hospitalization rates among children and the likelihood that kids will spread the virus outside of school. The DOHMH recently studied the effects of school breaks on emergency room visits for school-aged children with influenza and found a decline just two to three days after breaks began.
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