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About COVID
Want to know the basics of coronavirus? Below is important information about what the virus is, how it is spread, what the symptoms look like, and how to protect yourself and others.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will have mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Seniors and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
The best way to prevent and slow transmission is to be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes, and how it is spread. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or frequently using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer without touching your face.
The COVID-19 virus is spread primarily through droplets of saliva or nasal secretions when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it is important that you also practice breathing etiquette (for example, coughing into a flexed elbow).
COVID-19 is a very contagious virus. Human coronaviruses are spread like the flu or a cold:
- In the air while coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it
- Sometimes fecal contamination
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Diarrhea
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
Symptoms can appear as little as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. The illnesses reported range from people with few or no symptoms to those who are seriously ill and dying.
Most people with mild symptoms can recover at home without medical attention. If you want to get tested for a diagnosis, contact your healthcare provider or make an appointment at a publicly accessible testing site.
If you don’t want to get tested, it’s always important to stay home, isolate yourself and avoid contact with others, rest, and drink fluids. If you feel less well, call your health care provider.
For severe symptoms (including fever over 100 °), call your healthcare professional. If you don’t have a health care provider, call the nearest hospital or emergency care to make an appointment.
If it is an emergency, dial 911.
Emergency warning signs can include:
- Difficulty in breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake up or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
- Wear a mask – inside and outside – whenever you leave the house or people who do not live with you in your space.
- Keep your distance from those you don’t live with and avoid crowds.
- Download the COVID Alert PA mobile app to be alerted if you have been near someone who tested positive and to alert others if you test positive.
- Cover the cough or sneeze with your elbow. Don’t use your hands!
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Frequently clean high-touch surfaces, including counters, light switches, cell phones, remote controls and other frequently touched items.
- if you are sick – even if your symptoms are mild – stay home until you feel better.
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