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Coronavirus, COVID-19
COVID-19 is a virus that can cause mild to severe respiratory illness,
including death. The best preventive measures include getting vaccinated,
wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart, washing hands often and avoiding
sick people.
APPO
CO
Prevention
OVERVIEW
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a virus (more specifically, a
coronavirus) identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness.
What is coronavirus?
COVID-19 enters your body through your mouth, nose or eyes (directly
from the airborne droplets or from transfer of the virus from your hands to
your face). The virus travels to the back of your nasal passages and
mucous membrane in the back of your throat. It attaches to cells there,
begins to multiply and moves into lung tissue. From there, the virus can
spread to other body tissues.
How does the new coronavirus (COVID-19) spread from person to person?
The virus travels in respiratory droplets released into the air when an
infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, sings or breathes near you
(within 6 feet). You may be infected if you inhale these droplets.
You can also get COVID-19 from close contact (touching, shaking
hands) with an infected person and then touching your face.
It’s considered possible to get COVID-19 after touching a
contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose
before washing your hands. But it’s thought to be unlikely.
Where do coronaviruses come from?
Coronaviruses are often found in bats, cats and camels. The viruses live in
but do not infect the animals. Sometimes these viruses then spread to
different animal species. The viruses may change (mutate) as they transfer
to other species. Eventually, the virus can jump from animal species and
begins to infect humans. In the case of COVID-19, the first people infected
in Wuhan, China are thought to have contracted the virus at a food market
that sold meat, fish and live animals. Although researchers don’t know
exactly how people were infected, they already have evidence that the
virus can be spread directly from person to person through close contact.
What’s different about the delta variant of COVID-19?
It’s normal for viruses to mutate — especially coronaviruses and influenza
viruses. These mutations create new variants of the virus. Sometimes the
variants are less contagious, less severe or have slightly different
presenting symptoms. Unfortunately, the delta variant of COVID-19 (a
strain called B.1.617.2) is more highly contagious and more likely to result
in severe illness.
How long is a person infected with COVID-19 considered contagious?
Yes. Many researchers have analyzed data across the country and in some
large cities, looking at number of confirmed cases and deaths based on race
and ethnicity and related factors. They found that African Americans and
the Latino-Hispanic populations have disproportionately higher rates of
hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19.
Researchers suspect this might be because these ethnic groups tend to:
Researchers are still studying other factors that may make ethnic groups
more susceptible to negative COVID-19 outcomes, including:
Genetics.
Possible differences in lung tissue.
Socioeconomic status.
If I recover from a case of COVID-19, can I be infected again?
The CDC says you may have coronavirus if you have these symptoms or a
combination of symptoms:
Fever or chills.
Cough.
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Tiredness.
Muscle or body aches.
Headaches.
New loss of taste or smell.
Sore throat.
Congestion or runny nose.
Nausea or vomiting.
Diarrhea.
Symptoms may appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the
virus. Children have similar, but usually milder, symptoms than adults.
Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions
like heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk of more serious
complication from COVID-19.
Call 911 and get immediate medical attention if you have these warning signs
Trouble breathing.
Persistent pain or pressure in your chest.
New confusion.
Inability to wake up from sleep.
Bluish lips or face.
This list does not include all possible symptoms. Contact your healthcare
provider if you are concerned you may have coronavirus or have any
severe symptoms.
Your healthcare provider will ask you questions about your symptoms.
Your healthcare provider will tell you if you need to be tested for COVID-
19.
If I have a positive test for coronavirus, how long should I self-isolate?
Known contacts that have not yet been fully vaccinated should quarantine
for an appropriate time from the date of exposure based on local guidance.
This is typically 14 days, but can vary with testing and concerns around
variant strains.
Fully vaccinated individuals who meet the following criteria are not
required to quarantine:
They are fully vaccinated (2 weeks have passed since the second
dose in a 2-dose series, or 2 weeks after their dose in a single-dose
vaccine).
They are within 3 months following the last vaccine dose in the
series.
They remain asymptomatic since their current exposure to COVID-
19. Fully vaccinated people should still self-monitor for symptoms of
COVID-19 for 14 days following exposure, and seek clinical
evaluation if indicated.
Is it possible to test negative for COVID-19 and still be infected with the virus?
Yes, it’s possible. There are several reasons for “false negative” test results
— meaning you really DO have COVID-19 although the test result says
you don’t.
You were tested too early in the course of illness. The virus hasn’t
multiplied in your body to the level that it could be detected by the
test.
They didn’t get a good specimen. The healthcare personnel may not
have swabbed deeply enough in the nasal cavity to collect a good
sample. There could also be handling errors and transportation errors.
The COVID-19 test itself was not sensitive or specific enough to
detect COVID-19. Sensitivity refers to the ability of the test to
detect the smallest amount of virus. Specificity refers to the ability of
the test to detect only the COVID-19 virus and not other similar
viruses. Many different commercial and hospital laboratories have
developed tests for COVID-19. All must meet standards, but no test
is 100% sensitive and 100% specific for COVID-19. This is why
there is always a possibility of “false negative” and “false positive”
tests.
If you think you might have COVID-19 even if your test is negative, it’s
best to follow the current CDC recommendations. Stay home for 10 days if
you think you are sick. Stay 6 feet away from others (“social distancing”)
and wear a cloth mask. Contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms
worsen. Don’t decide on your own if it’s safe for you to be around others.
Instead, contact your healthcare provider when your symptoms improve.
Currently, only one drug has received Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approval. Remdesivir (Veklury®) is approved to treat hospitalized
patients with COVID-19 infection.
What treatments do people receive if they have COVID-19?
If you have mild COVID-19 symptoms, you will likely need to manage
your health at home. Follow these tips:
If you have a mild case of COVID-19, you should start to feel better in a
few days to a week. If you think your symptoms are getting worse, call
your healthcare provider.
PREVENTION
How can I prevent getting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)?
The changes we’ve all made to stay safe and healthy can feel challenging.
But please stay vigilant. We know it’s not easy, but it’s critical. COVID-19
shouldn't be taken lightly. While most people get only mild symptoms,
others develop serious complications of the lungs, brain and heart. There
may also be other long-term effects that we don’t yet know about. And, so
far, there’s no cure. Fortunately, there are steps we can all take to prevent
this. But for them to be effective, we all need to do them all of the time.
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