The virus is serious and indications are that it will have significant, though not catastrophic, impacts throughout our city and country.

The virus is a familiar type, but a novel variation, so there is still a good deal of uncertainty even among experts.

Testing throughout the country has been minimal and spotty - so we don't know the full extent of the virus' current spread, and future projections are imprecise. The picture will likely get clearer in the coming weeks.

The two most common symptoms are a fever and a dry cough. It does not usually come on like a typical cold with runny nose and congestion. (As with any illness, there are always exceptions and variations.)

The NLNA is not an expert public health information source. We urge you to consult the U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the Philadelphia Health Department.

One question that has come up repeatedly in the neighborhood is going out to eat or ordering food for delivery. Again, we urge you to consult expert information sources - but it is important to clarify that based on available information, food itself presents no special issue. Rather, the issues with any activity or situation are:

(1) human-to-human contact: direct hand touching, and exposure to nearby sneezing, coughing, or saliva;

(2) surfaces: Items and containers that you might touch or grasp, particularly hard surfaces or items and frequently-touched surfaces.

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