Call before you go
Call your health care provider or County Health Department if you have a fever, cough or shortness of breath and returned from international travel or a cruise in the last 14 days.
Wash for 20 sec.
Wash hands often with soap and water - 20 seconds or longer (or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol).
Avoid touching your face
Avoid touching your eyes,nose or mouth with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces.
Practice social distancing
If you are around other people, keep 6 feet between you when possible. Avoid hugs, handshakes, large gatherings and close quarters.
Call your doctor or your County Health Department if you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing.
Tell them about your symptoms and your exposure. They will decide whether you need to be tested.
Consult your health care provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Clean your hands especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. When someone coughs or sneezes, they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth, which may contain the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the coronavirus if the person coughing has the disease.
While it may be disappointing to hear that so many sports events, cruises, festivals and other gatherings are being cancelled, there is a public health reason for these measures. These cancellations help stop or slow down the spread of disease allowing the health care system to more readily care for patients over time.
Cancelling events that are likely to draw crowds is an example of social distancing. Social distancing is deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness. Staying at least six feet away from other people lessens your chances of catching COVID-19.
Other examples of social distancing that allow you to avoid larger crowds or crowded spaces are:
Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure (based on the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses).
If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:
*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.
Older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher risk for more serious complications from COVID-19.
Know where to find local information on COVID-19 and local trends of COVID-19 cases.
Know the Signs & SymptomsKnow the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do if symptomatic:
Create a Household PlanCreate a household plan of action in case of illness in the household or disruption of daily activities due to COVID-19 in the community.
Consider 2-week supply of prescription and over the counter medications, food and other essentials. Know how to get food delivered if possible. Establish ways to communicate with others (e.g., family, friends, co-workers).Establish plans to telework, what to do about childcare needs, how to adapt to cancellation of events.
If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others call
People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms. Additional information can be found at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSAexternal icon) website.
Things you can do to support yourself
Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditateexternal icon. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol.
Make time to do the activities you enjoy.
Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.
Self-quarantine is a more intensive form of excluding yourself from interaction with others than social distancing – which means reducing contact with others and staying at least 6 feet away when you do come into contact with people.
In addition to removing yourself from circulating freely in your community, self-quarantine also entails regularly engaging in infection-preventing hygiene practices. There are some “dos and don’ts” to this, Trivedi says.
Don’t:
Do:
CDC - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
American Heart Association
U.S. Department of Labor resources
Florida Department of Health
World Health Organisation
Covid visualizer
COVID-19 USA government
IDSA - Infections Diseases Society of America
Covid-19 shows the world that telemedicine tests are the safest for both patients and healthcare workers. In the absence of clear protocols and guidelines, health care providers must be proactive rather than reactive in controlling the rapid spread of this virus. iLiveActive can empower medical centers and hospital systems across the country to offer virtual and telehealth options to their health care providers to increase patient access and help protect our patients and the workforce during these unusual times. Many patients in a primary care setting do not need to be physically evaluated at this time.
To the patients out there, particularly the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions, please re-consider scheduling an in-person visit with your primary care physician. Given the current climate, I assure you most of your questions and concerns can be just as easily and much more safely addressed virtually by your provider. These visits are potentially jeopardizing your health and the health of your health care providers who you will so desperately need to count on in the weeks and months to come.
To our administrators, most of our primary care visits can be easily converted to telephone encounters and billed for time. Patients with mild upper respiratory tract symptoms such as cough, congestion, low-grade fever do not need to come in and expose our more vulnerable population to potentially severe illness. Under the current guidelines and simply because of lack of testing kits, this population with milder symptoms will likely not be tested for coronavirus. These visits can be done virtually by telephone, and appropriate medications can be prescribed if deemed necessary, such as antibiotics or antivirals like Tamiflu. Patients with more severe symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain should call their primary care office for guidance-these cases will likely need to be triaged to a higher level of care. Patients who are scheduled for routine follow up visits such as diabetes and hypertension are typically our older population and are placing themselves at risk for coming into the clinic. These visits can also be converted to telephone encounters during which a detailed history and review of symptoms are elicited, medications refilled, and pertinent orders placed.
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