COVID-19 Resources: Home

COVID-19 symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of Breath

These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs inclued*:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Blueish lips or face

Source and images: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

You are at a higher risk of getting sick if you:

• Are an older adult
• Have a serious chronic medical condition, such as:
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Lung disease
• Have a compromised immune system

If you are at a higher risk of getting COVID-19, you should take action to reduce your risk of getting sick.

• Stock up on supplies and contact your healthcare provider about getting extra necessary medications.
• Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
• When you go out in public, keep away from those who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.
• Avoid crowds as much as possible.
• Avoid cruise travel.
• During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fhigh-risk%2Fhigh-risk-complications.html

What we do know about COVID-19 and animals:

• Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some cause illness in people, and others cause illness in certain types of animals.
• Coronaviruses that infect animals can sometimes be spread to people, but this is rare.
• We do not know the exact source of the current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The first infections were linked to a live animal market, but the virus is now primarily spreading from person to person.
• The first case of an animal testing positive for the virus in the United States was a tiger that had a respiratory illness at a zoo in New York City.
• We do not have evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19 to people or that they might be a source of infection in the United States.
• CDC is aware of a very small number of pets outside the United States reported icon to be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 after close contact with people with COVID-19.
• We do not have evidence to suggest that imported animals or animal products pose a risk for spreading the 2019 novel coronavirus in the United States.
• Further studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19.

How to protect your pet:

• Avoid contact with your petting including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food.
• If you are sick and if you are able to, have a family member or friend take of your animal(s) while you are sick.
• If you are sick and unable to have someone else care for your animal(s), wash your hands before and after interacting with them.

For more information about COVID-19 and animal health, you can visit the following links:

World Organization for Animal Health

Center for Disease Control

How COVID-19  Spreads:

Person-to-person spread

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.

• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

• Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

Can someone spread the virus without being sick?

• People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).

• Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects

• It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

How easily the virus spreads

• How easily a virus spreads from person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious (spread easily), like measles, while other viruses do not spread as easily. Another factor is whether the spread is sustained, spreading continually without stopping.
• The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (“community spread”) in some affected geographic areas.
• Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure where they became infected.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/transmission.html

Protecting Yourself:

• Wash your hands often. 
  • Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Do this after you've been in a public space, blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • If soap is not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Make sure you cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they are dry.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Avoid close contact.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community, especially for those who are at a higher risk of getting very sick.

Protecting Others:

• Stay home if you're sick, except to get medical care.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes.
  • Cover your math and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
  • Throw used tissue in the trash.
  • Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available.
• Wear a facemask ONLY if you are sick.
  • If you are sick, wear a face mask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare providers office. If you are not able to ear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then you should do your best to cover your coughs and sneezes and people who are caring for you should wear a facemask if they enter your room.
  • If you are NOT sick you do not need to wear a facemask unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask). Face masks are in short supply and should be saved for caregivers and healthcare professionals.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily, including:
  • Tables
  • Doorknobs
  • Light switches
  • Countertops
  • Handles
  • Phones
  • Keyboards
  • Toilets
  • Faucets
  • Sinks
  • Steering wheels
• For more information on disinfecting: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html

Stay home except to get medical care:

• If you think you may have COVID-19, stay home and call your doctor! Always consult your doctor over the phone before going out to seek medical assistance in order to prevent the spread of the virus. If your symptoms are mild, you can recover at home. If your symptoms are more severe, calling ahead allows the doctors, nurses, and other staff time to protect themselves before you arrive at the doctor's office/healthcare center/hospital.
• Avoid public transportation, such as buses, trains, ride-sharing, and taxies.

Separate yourself from other people in your home, also known as home isolation:

• As much as possible, stay in a separate "sick room" and away from other people in your home. Use a separate bathroom if available.
• Limit contact with pets & animals. 
  • Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people with the virus limit contact with animals until more information is know.
  • When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you must care for your animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with them. 

Wear a facemask if you are sick or if you are caring for others who are sick.

Cover your cough and sneezes.

Clean your hands often.

Avoid sharing personal household items.

• Do not share:
  • Dishes
  • Drinking glasses or cups
  • Eating utensils
  • Towels
  • Bedding
• After using any of these items, wash them thoroughly.

Clean all "high touch" surfaces everyday.

• Clean and disinfect all srufaces in your "sick room" and bathroom. Let another member of the household clean and disinfect other parts of your home.
• Clean and disinfect areas that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.
• Use household cleans and disinfectants to keep your home clean.
• For more information on disinfecting your home: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html

Monitor your symptoms.

• Seek medical attention if your symptoms change or get worse, but call first before going to see a doctor.

How to discontinue home isolation:

People with COVID-19 who have stayed home isolated can stop home isolation under the following conditions:

• If you will have a test to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:
  • You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)
  • AND
  • other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
  • AND
  • at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared
• If you will be tested to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:
  • You no longer have a fever (without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)
  • AND other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
  • AND
  • you receive two negative tests in a row, 24 hours apart. Your doctor will follow CDC guidelines.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html

Infographic available in other languages here.

Terms you should know:

Racialization - the act or process of imbuing a person with a consciousness of race distinctions or of giving a racial character to something or making it serve racist ends
Sinophobia - the fear or disdain of China, or Chinese people, their language or culture
Xenophobia - fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign