On 10 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a range of interim guidance for all countries on how they can prepare for nCoV, including how to monitor for sick people, test samples, treat patients, control infection in health centres, maintain the right supplies, and communicate with the public about this novel virus (WHO, 2020a).

This editorial based on WHO’s interim infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance and the lessons learned from the previous severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemics.

Full guidelines are available at Infection prevention and control of epidemic-and pandemic prone acute respiratory infections in health care (WHO, 2014).