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COVID-19 Recommendations for Nurse Practitioners

This page is updated Monday-Friday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global pandemic related to the current outbreak of a novel coronavirus — here is what nurse practitioners (NPs) need to know.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is committed to providing members with up-to-date clinical and policy resources and information related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. national emergency declaration.


Watch this video message from AANP President Dr. Sophia L. Thomas to hear what AANP is doing to support you as you rise to meet new health care challenges.

The first cases of the novel (new) coronavirus were reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Describing a respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath, COVID-19 is different than coronaviruses that are already known to circulate among humans, including 229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1.

COVID-19 also differs from SARS-CoV, first reported in 2002, or MERS-CoV, first reported in 2012. However, genetic analyses have suggested that the COVID-19 may have emerged from a virus related to SARS.

Illness severity has varied, with reports ranging from very mild cases (including some with no reported symptoms) to severe cases resulting in death. Older adults, people who live in nursing homes or long-term care facilities and people with severe underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems reportedly are at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness.