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WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Journalists with questions about how to responsibly and proactively cover the coronavirus epidemic are invited to attend an educational panel discussion next Monday night at the National Press Club. They'll hear from top health care journalists, risk communication experts and senior public health officials.

The Feb. 10, 2020, panel discussion organized by the NPC Journalism Institute and the NPC's professional development team will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the National Press Club's conference rooms.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and the spokesperson for the CDC's response to the current coronavirus crisis.
• Amanda McClelland, a registered nurse and senior vice president Resolve to Save Lives' Prevent Epidemics team. McClelland has extensive experience coordinating the Red Cross response to the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

Anyone is welcome to attend this event, though journalists with little previous experience covering major public health emergencies are particularly encouraged to attend. Additional panelists will be announced.

Panelists will provide an overview of what is known about the Wuhan coronavirus, how it originated, how it is transferred between people, how long symptoms take to manifest and who is most at risk of contracting the infection.

Other topics may include:

• The basic terminology involved in coverage of the coronavirus
• How best to communicate urgent public health information without causing a panic
• How to respond to harmful conspiracy theories spreading on the Internet
• What are some common but also counter-productive responses by the general public during previous epidemics and massive public health scares
• The state of readiness of the U.S. medical community and hospitals to respond to coronavirus
• The basics of a quarantine including the reasons for and against ordering a quarantine
• The international response to the coronavirus

Tickets are $5 for NPC members and $10 for the public on Eventbrite.

For more information about the event, please email Rachel Oswald, NPC Professional Development team chair, at rachelm.oswald@gmail.com

About the NPC Journalism Institute

The National Press Club Journalism Institute's mission is to promote an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equip journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. As the non-profit of the National Press Club, the Institute serves as a beacon for journalism in the public interest.

Event details:

National Press Club

529 14th Street NW (14th & F Streets)

13th Floor

Washington, DC 20045

Feb. 10, 2020

6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

$5 for National Press Club members; $10 for general public

SOURCE National Press Club Journalism Institute