the outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) that originated in Wuhan, Hubei province has spread rapidly across China. Many hospitals in Wuhan are the epicenter of the outbreak. The first 14 staff members who were infected with SARS-Cov-2 were from our department. All of them recovered. In such an urgent and unexpected situation, our department began immediate and effective prevention and control strategies to stop the spread of the epidemic in the department. We believe that clinical departments, especially those related to noninfectious diseases in geographic areas of high risk for virus transmission, should take appropriate management and control measures to improve safety during this epidemic. For this purpose, we summarize and share our experiences which should help medical staff prepare in advance for a similar situation. These include the characteristics of SARS-Cov-2 infection, principles of prevention and control of infection, management of infected patients, and epidemic prevention in the outpatient department, ward, operating room, and medical staff.At the end of December 2019, several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China caused by an unknown virus were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). The novel virus was initially identified as a coronavirus on January 7, 2020, and named "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)" by WHO on February 11, 2020. The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 is now known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to the latest retrospective analysis, the median (range) incubation period of COVID-19 is 3 d, but incubation can be as long as 24 d. 1 The median age of patients is 47 yr, and adults are more susceptible than children and adolescents.There is no specific identifying symptom during the early stage of COVID-19 infection. Infected individuals may display weakness, cough, fever, or even no symptom, and yet they are already infectious. The accuracy of early diagnosis based on combined chest computed tomography and nucleic acid test can reach 97%. Expiratory dyspnea occurs in the late stages of infection, and respiratory distress syndrome, acute circulatory failure, or renal failure in severe cases. No specific effective therapeutic protocol in known. The current treatment methods are empiric based on symptoms, and consist of respiratory support (eg, oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or artificial lung technology), antibiotics, and antiviral drugs supplemented by immunoglobulin infusion. 1,2 The outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan occurred on the eve of the Chinese New Year (January 12, 2020). However, due to