The epidemic of the novel coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV)-associated pneumonia (abbreviated as NCP) is currently raging in China. It has been proven that 2019-nCoV can be transmitted from human-to-human. According to the latest clinical reports, hospital-associated spread of NCP is not rare, which poses great threats to both the medical staff and in-hospital patients. Under the epidemic situation, surgeons who practice general surgery should be aware of the epidemiological features and clinical manifestations of NCP, especially the digestive tract and abdominal symptoms caused by this condition, to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. The emergent or urgent surgeries should be performed properly and timely on the basis of aggressive exclusion and prevention of NCP. During emergent surgery for patients with NCP, the prevention and control rules framed by the local health administration or local medical institution should be strictly followed, all members of the surgical team must function in a coordinated fashion, class 2 or 3 prevention measures should be provided to all personnel, and the operation should be performed in a negative-pressure operating room. If the local hospital does not have the above capability, the patients with NCP requiring urgent surgery should be transferred immediately to a hospital with appropriate services.