The COVID-19 outbreak is spreading and growing rapidly since first seen less than two months ago, prompting many governments, including the United States, to ban or significantly restrict travel to and from China.

While travel bans are frequently used to stop the spread of an emerging infectious disease, what do we know about their effectiveness?

Joining me today to look at this question is Lauren Sauer. Lauren is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine and director of operations with the university's Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response.

She is also a coauthor in a recent study published in the Journal of Emergency Management addressing this topic.