Pieces of advice for when you get sick with coronavirus (COVID-19)

If you doubt you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 or if you are diagnosed with COVID-19, these are some steps to help prevent the disease from spreading to other people.

Quarantine yourself at home

Patients that are confirmed with COVID-19 should remain under home isolation precautions until the risk of secondary transmission to others is low. The decision to discontinue home isolation precautions should be made on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with healthcare providers and state and local health departments.

Avoid using public transportation and restrict activities outside your home, except for going to hospital. Do not go to public areas and do not be in touch with other people.

Separate yourself and your staff from everyone else

You should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home to reduce the transmission risk. You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. And also do not handle pets or other animals while you are sick.

Cover your coughs and sneezes and wear a facemask

You should wear a facemask when you are around other people or pets. If you are not able to wear a facemask, then people who live with you should not stay in the same room with you, or they should wear a facemask when they are around you.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Immediately after that wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.

Clean your hands and “high-touch” surfaces regularly

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Clean high touch surfaces like doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, and tablets every day. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.

Observe your symptoms and be aware of transmission risk

Attempt for immediate medical care if your illness is getting worse (e.g., difficulty breathing). Before seeking care, call your healthcare provider and tell them that you have, or are being evaluated for, COVID-19. Put on a facemask before you enter the facility to decrease the risk of transmission to the other people.

If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the dispatch personnel that you have, or are being evaluated for COVID-19. If possible, put on a facemask before emergency medical services arrive.

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