COVID-19: English
Vulnerable Populations
If you are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, you should:
- Stock up on supplies.
- Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
- When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.
- Avoid crowds as much as possible.
- Avoid cruise travel and nonessential air travel.
- During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.
Vulnerable populations include people who are:
- 60 years old and older.
- People with certain health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease and weakened immune systems.
Additional recommendations:
Have supplies on hand
- Contact your healthcare provider to ask about obtaining extra necessary medications to have on hand in case there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community and you need to stay home for a prolonged period of time.
- If you cannot get extra medications, consider using mail-order for medications.
- Be sure you have over-the-counter medicines and medical supplies (tissues, etc.) to treat fever and other symptoms. Most people will be able to recover from COVID-19 at home.
- Have enough household items and groceries on hand so that you will be prepared to stay at home for a period of time.
Take everyday precautions
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Take everyday preventive actions
- Clean your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
- If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
- Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.
- Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
- Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones)
- Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.
- Avoid all nonessential travel including plane trips, and especially avoid embarking on cruise ships.
- If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, take extra measures to put distance between yourself and other people to further reduce your risk of being exposed to this new virus.
- Stay home as much as possible.
- Consider ways of getting food brought to your house through family, social, or commercial networks.
Have a plan for if you get sick:
- Consult with your health care provider for more information about monitoring your health for symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 .
- Stay in touch with others by phone or email. You may need to ask for help from friends, family, neighbors, community health workers, etc. if you become sick.
- Determine who can provide you with care if your caregiver gets sick
Watch for symptoms and emergency warning signs
- Pay attention for potential COVID-19 symptoms including, fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you feel like you are developing symptoms, call your doctor.
- If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. In adults, emergency warning signs*:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.
What to Do if You Get Sick
- Stay home and call your doctor
- Call your healthcare provider and let them know about your symptoms. Tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help them take care of you and keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
- If you are not sick enough to be hospitalized, you can recover at home. Follow CDC instructions for how to take care of yourself at home.
- Know when to get emergency help
- Get medical attention immediately if you have any of the emergency warning signs listed above.
What Others can do to Support Older Adults
Community Support for Older Adults
- Community preparedness planning for COVID-19 should include older adults and people with disabilities, and the organizations that support them in their communities, to ensure their needs are taken into consideration.
- Many of these individuals live in the community, and many depend on services and supports provided in their homes or in the community to maintain their health and independence.
- Long-term care facilities should be vigilant to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19. Information for long-term care facilities can be found here.
Family and Caregiver Support
- Know what medications your loved one is taking and see if you can help them have extra on hand.
- Monitor food and other medical supplies (oxygen, incontinence, dialysis, wound care) needed and create a back-up plan.
- Stock up on nonperishable food items to have on hand in your home to minimize trips to stores.
- If you care for a loved one living in a care facility, monitor the situation, ask about the health of the other residents frequently and know the protocol if there is an outbreak.
Information on Testing
If you think you are ill and need medical care, you should seek medical attention. Call ahead before going so the provider can take precautions when you arrive. Testing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) change frequently. Please visit their site for updates on their guidance about who should be tested.
Your physician or health care provider will assess your symptoms and determine if diagnostic testing for the COVID-19 virus is appropriate. If your health care provider suspects COVID-19, THEY will coordinate testing with a commercial lab or the State's public health laboratory. While some commercial labs have the ability to analyze and report results to the patient or provider who ordered testing, the labs currently only perform the analysis and DO NOT collect specimens directly from patients. If you would like to speak with a nurse please call 240-777-1755.Frequently Asked Questions
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This is a new virus that hasn't caused illness in humans before. Worldwide, COVID-19 has resulted in thousands of human infections, casing illness and sometimes death. As the virus continues to spread, there have been cases reported in least 100 countries, including the United States.
Who is at risk currently?
Anyone can become sick with COVID-19. The majority of individuals in Montgomery County with COVID-19 have experienced mild to moderate symptoms. Currently, people who are most at risk for complications are:
- Older adults (those over 60 years old)
- Those with serious underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease
Are there recommendations for vulnerable populations, including those over 60 years old, and individuals with health conditions that put them at risk?
If you are at higher risk of getting sick from COVID-19, you should:
- Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
- Limit your interactions to people living in your own household.
- Avoid going out in public unless it is absolutely necessary, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.
- Avoid crowds as much as possible.
- Avoid cruise travel and nonessential air travel.
- Stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.
Vulnerable populations include people who are:
- 60 years old and older.
- People with certain chronic health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes.
- See additional recommendations.
How does COVID-19 spread, what are the symptoms and how do I prevent the spread?
COVID-19 is spread through:
- coughing and sneezing, which creates respiratory droplets
- close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- touching an object or surface with the virus on it
Symptoms:
- Fever
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- In more severe cases, pneumonia (infection in the lungs)
If someone has COVID-19, what happens to them?
Most people recover from this infection. Close to 80 percent will have mild or moderate symptoms. Ill people may be advised to recover at home and isolate themselves from others. These individuals should call their physician or clinic if their symptoms worsen. There is also no specific medicine currently to treat COVID-19 because it is a new disease.
Some COVID-19 infections can lead to serious illness, and in some cases death. If someone has a more serious illness from COVID-19, they may be admitted to the hospital. Older people and those with pre-existing medical problems have a greater risk for serious illness. Examples of pre-existing medical problems are cancer, diabetes, heart disease, COPD and other conditions that impact our immune system's ability to fight germs.
What can I do to protect myself and others?
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is very important for everyone to take serious precautions. Staying home and practicing social distancing as much as possible is critical to stopping the spread of the illness. There is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. Therefore, it is important to take preventative steps to slow the spread of the illness.
- Anyone who can telework should do so.
- Limit trips outside the home to essential travel only, and be sure to stay at least 6 feet away from anyone who is not a member of your household.
- Avoid gathering in groups.
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using standard cleaning practices.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, your sleeve, or your elbow.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If you are sick, stay home except to get medical care. Inform your supervisor of any illness.
What should I do if I think I am sick with COVID-19?
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should contact your health care provider immediately, and follow their instructions. After assessing your symptoms, they will determine if diagnostic testing is appropriate. If your symptoms are mild, they may instruct you to self-isolate.
If you are instructed to self-isolate:
- Separate yourself from other people in your home.
- When possible, limit contact with pets & animals.
- Stay home for 7 days following the start of symptoms AND 72 hours with no fever without any use of fever-reducing medications.
- If symptoms get worse, contact your health care provider or urgent care.
- If you have life threatening symptoms, call 911.
If your symptoms are severe:
- Call your health care provider or emergency room before you go.
Should the general public wear face coverings?
The CDC now recommends wearing face coverings where social distancing is difficult to maintain. Coverings are not advised for children under two years of age and individuals with difficulty breathing. The goal of cloth face coverings is to prevent people who feel healthy but have COVID-19 from unknowingly spreading respiratory droplets when they are in public. It should be emphasized that cloth face coverings do not offer the same level of protection as surgical masks and N95 respirator mask. Surgical masks and N95 respirator masks should be reserved for frontline health care personnel. Cloth face covers should:- Fit snugly, but comfortably against the side of the face
- Be secured with ties or ear loops
- Include multiple layers of fabric
- Allow for breathing without restriction
- Be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape
If you are wearing a face covering, it is important to wash it regularly; machine washing is considered to be an acceptable cleaning method. Individuals should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth when removing their face covering and wash hands immediately after removing.
If you want to make your own cloth masks, here are some how-to instructions and videos to provide guidance:
- U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams provides tips on making and wearing a face covering.
- CDC instructions on how to wear and clean a face covering.
How can people be tested for COVID-19?
People who suspect they have COVID-19 should contact their health care provider, who will determine if they have signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 . They will determine if diagnostic testing is appropriate. Testing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) change frequently. Please visit their site for updates on their guidance about who should be tested. There is no COVID-19 home test kit on the market for sale.
How can I be more prepared for COVID-19?
Have an adequate supply of over-the-counter drugs and other health supplies on hand, which could include: pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.
Have a thermometer, tissues and hand sanitizer in case you become ill and must stay at home to recover.
Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.
Have a two-week supply of water and food in your home.
Should I cancel plans to travel abroad?
At this time, the CDC recommends that travelers avoid any travel on cruise ships worldwide, including river cruises, because of the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission onboard ships. Deferring travel is especially important for older adults and all people with serious chronic medical conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes or lung disease), because of their increased risk for serious illness. People who are at increased risk for serious illness are advised to avoid all non-essential air travel.
Visit the CDC travel advisory site to check on current travel warnings if you are planning a trip abroad.
Is there anything else I should know?
Do not stigmatize people of any ethnicity. Viruses do not target people from specific populations, ethnicities or racial backgrounds.
Stay informed and only get information from trusted, official sources. Be especially wary of myths, rumors, misinformation and scams circulating online and elsewhere. Health information spread on social media, except from trusted sources, is frequently inaccurate.
