Picking up takeout food while slowing the spread of COVID-19?

• Order & pay online or over the phone when possible.
• Accept take-out without in-person contact or stay at least 6 feet away from others.
• Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol after bringing home your food.

Learn more about taking essential trips at this time: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/essential-goods-services.html

Do you think you may have COVID-19? If you think you’re sick, follow guidance about when to call your doctor:

• Monitor your symptoms
• Call ahead before visiting your doctor
• Avoid close contact with others when you’re out

Most people who get COVID-19 can take care of themselves at home. If you need to see a doctor, take precautions to protect yourself and others around you.

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

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations like COVID-19. You may feel anxiousness, anger, sadness, or overwhelmed. Find ways to reduce your stress to help yourself and the people you care about.

• Learn the common signs of stress.
• Make time to unwind and do activities you enjoy.
• Talk with family and friends by phone, text, or email.

If you or a loved one is feeling overwhelmed, get support 24/7 by calling 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746.

Learn more about stress and coping during the COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html

Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Hand hygiene is an important part of the U.S. response to the international emergence of COVID-19. Practicing hand hygiene, which includes the use of alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) or handwashing, is a simple yet effective way to prevent the spread of pathogens and infections in healthcare settings. 

Hand Hygiene means cleaning your hands by using either handwashing (washing hands with soap and water), antiseptic hand wash, antiseptic hand rub (i.e. alcohol-based hand sanitizer including foam or gel), or surgical hand antisepsis

Cleaning your hands reduces:

• The spread of potentially deadly germs to patients
• The risk of healthcare provider colonization or infection caused by germs acquired from the patient

Methods for Hand Hygiene: Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer vs. Washing with Soap and Water

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are the most effective products for reducing the number of germs on the hands of healthcare providers.
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are the preferred method for cleaning your hands in most clinical situations.
• Wash your hands with soap and water whenever they are visibly dirty, before eating, and after using the restroom.

Learn more at: https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/providers/index.html

Content provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wondering how you can do your daily activities safely while protecting yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19?

The more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread.

So, think about

• How many people will be there?
• Will the space be indoors or outdoors?
• Will you spend a lot of time with others?

(“PST” here’s a hint – think People, Space, and Time.)

Learn more about assessing the risk when you‘re deciding to go out: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/deciding-to-go-out.html

If you have fever, cough, loss of taste or smell or certain other symptoms, you might have COVID-19. If you think you might have COVID-19 or think you may have been near someone who has COVID-19, contact a healthcare provider for medical advice. Learn more at https://bit.ly/2IV3uRh or watch the video below.

Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Providing care to others during the COVID-19 pandemic can lead to stress, anxiety, fear, and other strong emotions. How you cope with these emotions can affect your well-being, the care you give to others while doing your job, and the well-being of the people you care about outside of work.

During this pandemic, it is critical that you recognize what stress looks like, take steps to build your resilience and cope with stress, and know where to go if you need help.

Tips to cope and enhance your resilience:

• Communicate with your coworkers, supervisors, and employees about job stress.
• Remind yourself that everyone is in an unusual situation with limited resources.
• Identify and accept those things which you do not have control over.
• Recognize that you are performing a crucial role in fighting this pandemic and that you are doing the best you can with the resources available.
• Increase your sense of control by keeping a consistent daily routine when possible — ideally one that is similar to your schedule before the pandemic.
• When away from work, get exercise when you can. Spend time outdoors either being physically activity or relaxing. Do things you enjoy during non-work hours.
• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting and mentally exhausting, especially since you work with people directly affected by the virus.
• If you feel you may be misusing alcohol or other drugs (including prescriptions), ask for help.
• Engage in mindfulness techniques such as breathing exercises and meditation.
• If you are being treated for a mental health condition, continue with your treatment and talk to your provider if you experience new or worsening symptoms.

 Learn more at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/mental-health-healthcare.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fmental-health-healthcare.html

When choosing to go out in public or visit a loved one at higher risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends we pay close attention to our symptoms. For those of us with seasonal allergies, understanding symptoms  can present a challenge!  

Seasonal allergies triggered by airborne pollen can lead to seasonal allergic rhinitis, which affects the nose and sinuses, and seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, which affects the eyes. Your sniffles and sneezes may seem like symptoms of COVID-19.

While COVID-19 and seasonal allergies share many symptoms, there are some key differences between the two. 

For example, COVID-19 can cause fever, which is not a common symptom of seasonal allergies. The image below compares symptoms caused by allergies and COVID-19.

*Seasonal allergies do not usually cause shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, unless a person has a respiratory condition such as asthma that can be triggered by exposure to pollen.

This is not a complete list of all possible symptoms of COVID-19 or seasonal allergies. Symptoms vary from person to person and range from mild to severe. You can have symptoms of both COVID-19 and seasonal allergies at the same time.

If you think you have COVID-19, follow CDC’s guidance on ”What to do if you are sick.” If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.

Covid-19 has been found to spread mainly from person to person via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19 when combined with every day preventive actions and social distancing in public settings.

Here are some guidelines on how to properly wear and take off a mask.

WEAR YOUR MASK CORRECTLY

• Wash your hands before putting on your mask
• Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin
• Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face
• Make sure you can breathe easily
• Do not place a mask on a child younger than 2

USE A MASK TO HELP PROTECT OTHERS

• Wear a mask to help protect others in case you’re infected but don’t have symptoms
• Keep the mask on your face the entire time you’re in public
• Don’t put the mask around your neck or up on your forehead
• Don’t touch the mask, and, if you do, clean your hands

FOLLOW EVERYDAY HEALTH HABITS

• Stay at least 6 feet away from others
• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Wash your hands often, with soap and water, for at least
• 20 seconds each time
• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available

TAKE OFF YOUR MASK CAREFULLY WHEN YOU’RE HOME

• Untie the strings behind your head or stretch the ear loops
• Handle only by the ear loops or ties
• Fold outside corners together
• Place mask in the washing machine
• Wash your hands with soap and water

For more info, see: cdc.gov/coronavirus