Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. View the current situation summary from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
COVID-19 is spreading from person to person in parts of the United States. Risk of infection with COVID-19 is higher for people who are close contacts of someone known to have COVID-19, for example healthcare workers, or household members. Other people at higher risk for infection are those who live in or have recently been in an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19.
The first case of COVID-19 in the United States was reported on January 21, 2020. The current count of cases of COVID-19 in the United States is available on the CDC’s webpage.
The virus that causes COVID-19 probably emerged from an animal source, but is now spreading from person to person. The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It also may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has
the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Learn what is known about the spread of COVID-19 on the CDC webpage.
According to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio. For details and more information, please visit the ODH COVID-19 webpage. If you have questions regarding COVID-19, please call the ODH call center at 1.833.4.ASK.ODH (1.833.427.5634).
Ohio Department of Health
Resources
- COVID-19 Webpage
- Guidance on Ohio Travel (April 3, 2020)
- Requesting Resources through Your County EMA (April 3, 2020)
- Resources for Health Care Workers
- Guidance for Primary Care and Outpatient Providers (March 14, 2020)
- Updated Guidance for Testing and Resource Management (March 20, 2020)
- Bulletin: Health Insurance Coverage Flexibility for Ohio Employees
- Information and Checklist for Expanded Access to Medical and Behavioral Health Services Using Telehealth
- Checklist: Emergency Rule for Dispensing Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine (March 23, 2020)
- Ways to Stay Safe for Victims of Domestic Violence (March 23, 2020)
- Checklist: Out of Network Insurance Coverage (March 30, 2020)
- Commercial Evictions and Foreclosures (April 1, 2020)
Press Releases
- Amended Director’s Stay at Home Order (April 2, 2020)
- Director’s Order: Performing COVID-19 Testing (April 1, 2020)
- Director’s Order: All Persons Stay at Home Unless Engaged in Essential Work or Activity (March 22, 2020)
- ODH Classifies Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 an Immediately Reportable Class A Disease (March 14, 2020)
- Director’s Order: Limiting the Sale of Food and Beverages, Liquor, Beer, and Wine to Carry-Out and Delivery Only (March 15, 2020)
- Ohio Department of Health Opens Call Center to Help With COVID- 19 Response (March 6, 2020)
State of Ohio
- Governor DeWine Signs Order Restricting Prescribing/Dispensing of Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine (March 22, 2020)
- Governor DeWine Orders Ohio Bars & Restaurants to Close (March 15, 2020)
- Governor DeWine Signs Emergency Order Regarding Coronavirus Response (March 9, 2020)
CMS Resources
Telemedicine
- Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet (March 17, 2020)
- Medicare Telehealth FAQ (March 17, 2020)
- Medicare Telehealth Chart
- Medicaid State Plan Fee-for-Service Payments for Services Delivered Via Telehealth
- General Provider Telehealth and Telemedicine Tool Kit
Additional News, Information, and Resources
- Accelerated/Advance Medicare Payments Fact Sheet
- Medicare Provider Enrollment Relief Frequently Asked Questions
- CMS Announces Relief for Clinicians, Providers, Hospitals and Facilities Participating in Quality Reporting Programs in Response to COVID-19 (March 22, 2020)
- CMS Releases Recommendations on Adult Elective Surgeries, Non-Essential Medical, Surgical, and Dental Procedures During COVID-19 Response (March 18, 2020)
- COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Health Care Providers Fact Sheet (March 13, 2020)
- CMS Takes Action Nationwide to Aggressively Respond to Coronavirus National Emergency (March 13, 2020)
- COVID-19 Nursing Home Visitor Guidance (March 13, 2020)
- Medicare Administrative Contractor COVID-19 Test Pricing (March 12, 2020)
- FAQs on Essential Health Benefit Coverage and COVID-19 (March 12, 2020)
- FAQs for State Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Agencies (March 12, 2020)
CDC Resources
Clinical Management Resources
- Interim Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed COVID-19 (March 30, 2020)
- Healthcare Professionals FAQ (March 30, 2020)
- Severe Illness Associated with Using Non-Pharmaceutical Chloroquine Phosphate to Prevent and Treat COVID-19 (March 28, 2020)
- Evaluating and Testing Persons for COVID-19 (March 24, 2020)
- Clinical Criteria for Identifying Coronavirus (March 24 ,2020)
- Interim Guidelines for Collecting, Handling, and Testing Clinical Specimens from Persons for COVID-19 (March 24, 2020)
- Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with COVID-19 (March 7, 2020)
Preparedness Resources
- Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Personal Protective Equipment (April 2, 2020)
- Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations (April 1, 2020)
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (March 28, 2020)
- Travel: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (March 27, 2020)
- Preparedness Resources for Hospitals and Healthcare Professionals (March 25, 2020)
- Interim Guidance for Implementing Home Care of People Not Required Hospitalization (March 20, 2020)
- Preparing Communities for Potential Spread of COVID-19 (March 20, 2020)
- Preparing for COVID-19: Long-term Care Facilities, Nursing Homes (March 13, 2020)
- Healthcare Supply of Personal Protective Equipment (March 12, 2020)
Patient Education and Communication Resources
- What You Need to Know
- What to Do If You’re Sick
- Additional Communication Resources (posters, videos, and traveler resources)
American Academy of Family Physicians
COVID-19 Daily Updates for Members
Advocacy
- SpeakOut: Urge Lawmakers to Support Integrated, Transparent, and Practical Protocols in the Nation’s Health Care Response
- Toolkit (members only; requires AAFP membership ID)
- COVID-19 Talking Points (members only; requires AAFP membership ID)
Resources
- COVID-19 Webpage
- COVID-19: Practice Management
- COVID-19 Member Community
- Financial Relief for Family Physicians
- Using Telehealth to Care for Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Checklist to Prepare Physician Offices for COVID-19
- COVID-19: CME
- Personal Protective Equipment Position Statement
News
- CMS Heeds AAFP’s Call to Dramatically Expand Telehealth (AAFP News, April 1, 2020)
- AAFP Eases CME, Dues Deadlines so FPs Can Focus on Pandemic (AAFP News, March 31, 2020)
- Telehealth Deserves Payment; the AAFP Is Helping Secure It (In the Trenches, March 31, 2020)
- Medicare Physicians’ COVID-19 Payment Relief Is Underway (AAFP News, March 30, 2020)
- AAFP to Host Weekly COVID-19 Virtual Town Halls (AAFP News, March 24, 2020)
- Inside Look at Using Telemedicine During COVID-19 Pandemic (AAFP News, March 23, 2020)
- COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Must Include Physicians, AAFP Says (AAFP News, March 23, 2020)
- COVID-19: FP Searches for Supplies, Information and Lessons (Fresh Perspectives, March 20, 2020)
- U.S. FP Shares COVID-19 Insights From Practice in China (AAFP News, March 18, 2020)
- AAFP Statement RE: Coverage & Payment for Telemedicine and Virtual Care (March 17, 2020)
- Academy Pushes for Strong Federal Response to COVID-19 (AAFP News, March 16, 2020)
- COVID-19: New Telehealth Rules and Procedure Codes for Testing (Family Practice Management, March 10, 2020)
- Coronavirus: Six Ways to Prepare Your Practice Now (Family Practice Management, February 27, 2020)
- Coding for the New Coronavirus and COVID-19 Illness (Family Practice Management, March 10, 2020)
- CDC Updates Interim Guidance for Novel Coronavirus (AAFP News, February 5, 2020)
- AAFP President: Prepare Your Office for Novel Coronavirus (AAFP News, January 24, 2020)
Member Stories
- The Couple and Conversation behind Battelle’s Mask Sterilization Technology (10TV, April 3, 2020)
- Sick With Coronavirus, an Ohio Doctor Soldiers On (National Association of Community Health Centers, April 2)
- Thousands of U.S. Medical Workers Furloughed, Laid Off as Routine Patient Visits Drop during Coronavirus Pandemic (USA Today, April 2, 2020)
- Heritage College Students to Lend a Hand in Fighting Pandemic (Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, April 2)
- Message from a Frontline Family Physician (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 31, 2020)
- Private Practice in a Time of Pandemic (AAFP Leader Voices Blog, March 24, 2020)
Additional Resources
- American Medical Association Telemedicine Quick Set-Up Guide
- Beware of Fradulent COVID-19 Tests, Vaccines, and Treatments (FDA, March 24, 2020)
- Critical Care for Non-ICU Clinicians (a free video series from the Society of Critical Care Medicine)
- Physician Support Line (a free, confidential peer support telehealth line staffed by volunteer psychiatrists for U.S. physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic)
Additional News and Information
- Doctors In Training Are Dying, And We Are Letting Them Down (Forbes, April 5, 2020)
- CMS Provides Regulatory Relief on Staffing, Paperwork as COVID-19 Cases Surge (FierceHealthcare, March 30, 2020)
- Trump Extends Virus Guidelines, Braces U.S. for Big Death Toll (AP, March 29, 2020)
- New Data Suggests Problems like Nausea and Diarrhea may be Some of the first COVID-19 Symptoms (Huffpost, March 27, 2020)
- Some COVID-19 Patients Still have Coronavirus after Symptoms Disappear, Possibly Endangering Health Workers (HealthcareFinance, March 27, 2020)
- Trump Signs Executive Order to Prevent Price Gouging, Hoarding of Medical Supplies (The Hill, March 23, 2020)
- CDC Offers Online Triage for Coronavirus Testing (CNN, March 22, 2020)
- Emergency Rule: Docs Can Bill for Telehealth and COVID-19 Tests. Here’s How (Medscape, March 20, 2020)
- COVID-19 Mitigation: Preparing Hospitals and Health Systems (JAMA, March 19, 2020)
- Securing the Safety Net and Protecting Public Health During a Pandemic: Medicaid’s Response to COVID-19 (JAMA, March 19, 2020)
- Characteristics and Outcomes of 21 Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 in Washington State (JAMA, March 19, 2020)
- Trump Signs Coronavirus Relief Bill Ensuring Paid Leave as White House Eyes “Phase 3” (CBS News, March 18, 2020)
- Coronavirus Now in All 50 States as Death Toll Passes 100 (CNN, March 18, 2020)
- Coronavirus Can Persist in Air for Hours and on Surfaces for Days: Study (Reuters, March 17, 2020)
- Patient Well-Being Related to COVID-19 (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 17, 2020)
- HPIO Launches COVID-19 Resource Page (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 17, 2020)
- Member Frustration with Federal COVID-19 Response (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 17, 2020)
- Message from AAFP President on Coronavirus Emergency (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 17, 2020)
- COVID-19 in Seattle: Clinical Features and Managing the Outbreak (JAMA, March 16, 2020)
- ACOs Seek Flexibility from CMS to Mitigate Losses Due to Coronavirus (FierceHealthcare, March 15, 2020)
- House Passes Coronavirus Relief Bill after Trump Announces His Support (CNN, March 14, 2020)
- CMS Releases New Flexibility, Waiver Protections for Providers to Help Handle Coronavirus (FierceHealthcare, March 13, 2020)
- Trump Declares Coronavirus National Emergency, Says He will Most Likely be Tested (Reuters, March 13, 2020)
- New CPT Code Announced to Report Novel Coronavirus Test (American Medical Association, March 13, 2020)
- After Trump Promised ‘Anybody’ Can Get Coronavirus Testing, Patients and Doctors Still Complain of Roadblocks (Washington Post, March 12, 2020)
- WHO Declares Coronavirus a Pandemic, Urges Aggressive Action (AP, March 12, 2020)
- Letter to HHS on Primary Care and the Community Transmission of COVID-19 (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 10, 2020)
- Emergency Coronavirus Funding Bill Boosts Public Health Investment and Allows Medicare Telehealth (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 10, 2020)
- ODH Opens Call Center to Help With COVID-19 Response (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 10, 2020)
- COVID-19: Coding and Testing Coverage (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 10, 2020)
- OAFP Staff Participates in Governor’s Office COVID-19 Update (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 10, 2020)
- Resources Regarding Psychological and Behavioral Health Issues Related to COVID-19 and Patient/Community Well-Being (American Psychiatric Association Disaster Committee)
- Three Confirmed Cases of Coronavirus in Ohio; DeWine Declares State of Emergency (10 TV, March 9, 2020)
- Trump Set to Sign $8.3B bill to Fight Coronavirus Outbreak (AP, March 6, 2020)
- Top Insurers Commit to Easing Cost Barriers to Coronavirus Testing (FierceHealthcare, March 5, 2020)
- Insurers Promise to Cover Coronavirus Tests, Relax Coverage Policies (Politico, March 5, 2020)
- During A Pandemic, States’ Patchwork Of Crisis Strategies Could Mean Uneven Care (Kaiser Health News, March 5, 2020)
- State Issues Order Prohibiting General Spectator Attendance for Arnold Sports Festival (March 5, 2020)
- U.S. House Passes $8.3 Billion Bill to Battle Coronavirus; Senate Vote due Thursday (Reuters, March 4, 2020)
- CMS Announces Actions to Address Spread of Coronavirus (March 4, 2020)
- DeWine, Governors Urge Passing of Emergency Coronavirus Measure (March 5, 2019)
- AAFP Provides Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 3, 2020)
- Governor DeWine, Health Director Update COVID-19 Prevention and Preparedness Plan (February 27, 2020)
- Coronavirus: What You Need to Know (Weekly Family Medicine Update, January 28, 2020)