As of today, January 28, 2020, the WHO has not declared a public health emergency1 related to the recently identified Novel Coronavirus (nCoV). Currently, the WHO phase is Phase 2, Alert and this phase is currently unrelated to the nCoV (please see Bee-Clean’s Pandemic Risk Management Document for additional information regarding pandemic phases). As of today, the virus has been confirmed mainly in China, but also other global regions including Canada (chart below1). 
As the lead-in and preparation for a potential pandemic evolves, Bee-Clean continues with steps to ensure that our employees and our clients are safe, adequately informed and prepared for the current phase and those to follow. We have engaged our supply chain partners to confirm they are prepared with adequate inventories of sanitizing materials. nCoV is an enveloped virus (similar to H1N1). We are also formally engaging our internal National Pandemic Management Team who will assist with our response strategy to a pandemic should the WHO increase the current alert level to Phase 3: Pandemic.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVICE2
During previous outbreaks due to other coronavirus (Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), human-to-human transmission occurred through droplets, contact and fomites, suggesting that the transmission mode of the 2019-nCoV can be similar. The basic principles to reduce the general risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections include the following:
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Avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.
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Frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment.
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Avoiding unprotected contact with farm or wild animals.
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People with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands).
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Within healthcare facilities, enhance standard infection prevention and control practices in hospitals, especially in emergency departments.
As outlined in our Pandemic Risk Management Document, our first planning step for a possible pandemic is to identify a Pandemic Coordinator. For nCoV 2019, that coordinator is Rob Scott.
We will continue to update our internal teams and external stakeholders as the situation evolves. You may direct questions to Rob Scott (rob.scott@beeclean.net) or John Appleton (john.appleton@beeclean.net).
1 https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200128-sitrep-8-ncov-cleared.pdf?sfvrsn=8b671ce5_2
2 https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200128-sitrep-8-ncov-cleared.pdf?sfvrsn=8b671ce5_2
Pandemic Bulletins Prepared by Rob Scott / John Appleton
