February 27, 2020 UPDATE:
We now understand that some patients can be infected with COVID-19 and have no symptoms, which means these patients can transmit the virus without knowing they are sick.This is a major concern since one of the mainstay recommendations, thus far, for avoiding COVID-19 infection is staying away from those who are sick.
So what does this mean for the general population? We all need to double down on prevention. Here is a summary of the guidelines the Center for Disease Control has put in place for you, your family, and your community to help prevent the disease from spreading.
Everyone should do the following:
Each person who is feeling sick should:
Children should seek medical care for:
Adults should seek medical care for:
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, remember to call ahead before visiting your healthcare provider to share your symptoms and that you may have COVID-19. This will help providers have the appropriate tests on-hand and prepare the clinic to keep others from getting infected or exposed.
If you are feeling sick, we also recommend reaching out to a doctor via video or app, like with Carbon Health, Teladoc or Doctor on Demand, to get your questions answered from the comfort and safety of your home.
While we hope not to see widespread outbreak in our communities, following these guidelines and taking the right prevention and preparedness steps will put in a stronger position to contain the disease should it begin spreading.