Reporting COVID-19 in the United States

Last Updated: March 21, 2020 10:20 ET

For Healthcare Providers

  • US Healthcare providers who are concerned that a patient may have Coronavirus COVID-19 should contact their state health department (below) or local health department immediately for consultation and guidance.
  • Health departments can assist with submitting reports of Persons Under Investigation (PUI) and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases – see below.

For Health Departments

Reporting a PUI or Laboratory-Confirmed Case of Coronavirus COVID-19

  • To prevent further spread of SARS-CoV-2 and to collect information to better understand the virus and its impact on health outcomes, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working closely with state and local health departments around the country to support follow-up of PUI, referral of specimens for testing, and follow-up of any presumptive positive or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases.[1]
  • CDC has developed a standardized approach to collecting data to characterize PUIs and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases. These data are needed to track the impact of the outbreak and inform public health response.
  • The COVID-19 Persons under Investigation (PUI) and Case Report Form (PDF) is designed to collect key information on PUIs and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case-patients, including:

Tips to submit a report on a PUI, Presumptive Positive Case, or Laboratory-Confirmed Case

  • The following steps should be taken for specimens being tested by CDC. The nCoV ID should be included on all PUI and Case Report Forms and shipping labels.
Procedural Steps for Specimens Being Tested by CDC†

Jouristication

Able to Assign nCoV IDs and Monitor PUIs

Not yet Able to Assign nCoV IDs and Monitor PUIs

Has the capacity to do their own laboratory testing

  • Enter all PUIs or Presumptive Cases (persons with a positive test performed locally without CDC lab confirmation) into CDC’s electronic reporting system with the jurisdiction-issued nCoV ID, unless other arrangements to transmit data have been made and approved by CDC.
  • If a specimen is tested locally and is negative, please update the person’s disposition in CDC’s electronic reporting system.
  • If a specimen is tested locally and is positive, please call the CDC EOC Watch desk at 770-488-7100 and notify CDC of the positive result. The specimen will be identified as ‘presumptive positive’ until the result is confirmed at CDC; send the specimen to CDC for confirmatory testing and update the person’s disposition in CDC’s electronic reporting system.

  • Call the CDC EOC Watch desk at 770-488-7100 to receive a CDC-issued nCoV ID, and to complete a PUI and Case Report Form.
  • If the specimen is tested locally and is positive, please call the CDC EOC Watch desk at 770-488-7100 and notify of the positive result. The specimen will be identified as ‘presumptive positive’ until the result is confirmed at CDC; send the specimen to CDC for confirmatory testing.

Does not have capacity to do their own testing and are sending specimens to CDC for testing

  • Enter all PUIs into CDC’s electronic reporting system with the jurisdiction-issued nCoV IDs, unless other arrangements to transmit data have been made and approved by CDC.
  • Testing results will be returned to the state lab per current protocol.
  • The nCoV ID should be included on all PUI and Case Report Forms and shipping labels.

†Reporting a PUI or Confirmed Case. US Centers for Disease Control. Last updated March 6, 2020.[1]

Phone Numbers of State Health Department in the US

Please email preparedness@cste.org to report any changes to the designated phone numbers.

For State Epidemiologists’ contact information, please click here: https://www.cste.org….

Jurisdiction

After Hours/Epi-on-Call Phone Number

Infectious Disease Outbreak-Related Questions

Alabama

(800) 338-8374

(800) 338-8374

Alaska

(800) 478-0084

(800) 478-0084 or
(907) 269-8000

America Samoa

(684) 733-4924

(684) 733-4924

Arizona

(480) 303-1191

(480) 303-1191

Arkansas

(501) 661-2136

(501) 661-2136 or
(501) 661-2142

California

(916) 328-3605

(916) 328-3605

California, LA County

(213) 974-1234

(213) 240-7941

California, San Francisco

(415) 554-2830

(415) 554-2830

Colorado

(303) 370-9395

(303) 692-2700

Connecticut

(860) 509-8000

(860) 509-8000

Delaware

(888) 295-5156

(302) 744-4700 or
(888) 295-5156

Federated States of Micronesia

N/A

N/A

Florida

(850) 245-4401

(850) 245-4401

Georgia

(866) 782-4584

(866) 782-4584

Guam

(671) 888-9276

(671) 888-9276

Hawaii

(808) 600-3625

(808) 586-4586 or
(808) 600-3625

Idaho

(800) 632-8000

(208) 334-5939

Illinois

(800) 782-7860 or (217) 782-7860

(800) 782-7860 or
(217) 782-7860

Illinois, Chicago

(312) 744-5000

(312) 744-5000

Indiana

(317) 233-1325

(317) 233-1325

Iowa

(800) 362-2736

(800) 362-2736 or
(515) 323-4360

Kansas

(877) 427-7317

(877) 427-7317

Kentucky

(888) 973-7678

(888) 973-7678

Louisiana

(800) 256-2748

(800) 256-2748

Maine

(800) 821-5821

(800) 821-5821

Maryland

(410) 795-7365

(410) 795-7365

Massachusetts

(617) 983-6800

(617) 983-6800

Michigan

(517) 335-9030

(517) 335-9030

Minnesota

(651) 201-5414

(651) 201-5414 or
(877) 676-5414

Mississippi

(601) 576-7400

(601) 576-7400

Missouri

(800) 392-0272

(800) 392-0272

Montana

(406) 444-0273

(406) 444-0273

Nebraska

(402) 471-2937

(402) 471-2937

Nevada

(775) 400-0333

(775) 400-0333 or
(775) 843-4673

Nevada, Las Vegas

(702) 759-1300

(702) 759-1300

New Hampshire

(603) 271-5300

(603) 271-5300 or
(603) 271-4496

New Jersey

(609) 392-2020

(609) 826-5964

New Mexico

(505) 827-0006

(505) 827-0006

New York

(866) 881-2809

(866) 881-2809

New York, New York City

(866) 692-3641

(866) 692-3641

North Carolina

(919) 733-3419

(919) 733-3419

North Dakota

(701) 220-0819

(701) 328-2270 or
(701) 328-2378

Northern Mariana Island

N/A

N/A

Ohio

(614) 995-5599

(614) 995-5599

Oklahoma

(405) 271-4060

(405) 271-4060

Oregon

(971) 673-1111

(971) 673-1111

Pennsylvania

(717) 787-3350

(877) 724-3258 or
(717) 787-3350

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

(215) 686-4514

(215) 686-4514

Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh

(412) 687-2243

(412) 687-2243

Puerto Rico

(787) 679-6257 or (787) 399-9565

(787) 679-6257 or
(787) 399-9565

Rhode Island

(401) 276-8046

(401) 276-8046 or
(401) 222-2577

South Carolina

(888) 847-0902

(803) 898-0861 or
(888) 847-0902

South Dakota

(605) 773-3737

(800) 592-1861

Tennessee

(615) 741-7247

(615) 741-7247

Texas

(512) 221-6852

(512) 221-6852

Texas, Dallas

(877) 605-2660

(214) 819-2004 or
(877) 605-2660

Texas, Harris County

(713) 755-5000

(713) 755-5000

Texas, Houston

(832) 393-5080

(832) 393-5080

Texas, San Antonio

(210) 207-8876

(210) 207-8876

Utah

(888) 374-8824

(888) 374-8824

Vermont

(802) 863-7240

(802) 863-7240

Virgin Islands

N/A

N/A

Virginia

UPDATED

(877) 275-8343

Washington

(206) 418-5500

(206) 418-5500

Washington D.C.

(844) 493-2652

(844) 493-2652

West Virginia

(304) 558-5358 Ext. 1

(304) 558-5358, Ext: 1

Wisconsin

(608) 258-0099

(608) 258-0099 or
(608) 267-9003

Wyoming

(888) 996-9104

(888) 996-9104

†Source: After Hours/Epi-on-call Contact List for States. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologiests (CSTE). March 13, 2020.[2]

See Also

References

  1. Information for Health Departments on Reporting a Person Under Investigation (PUI) or Laboratory-Confirmed Case for COVID-19. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 13 March 2020. [https://www.cdc.gov…
  2. After Hours/Epi-on-call Contact List for States. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologiests (CSTE). March 4, 2020. [https://www.cste.org…]

Last updated: April 4, 2020