Frequently Asked Questions on Coronavirus

Someone who is sick should also monitor their symptoms and seek prompt medical attention if their illness is worsening. According to the CDC, signs that someone should seek medical attention includes persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips

Before you seek medical care, call your health care provider and tell them that you have COVID-19 or are being evaluated for it. Put on a facemask before entering the facility to prevent others there from being infected.

The state Department of Health also recommends infected persons call them at 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) so that they can help with active monitoring and instructions. The department and health care providers will also help determine when home isolation should end if someone who is infected does not need medical attention.

How do you get tested?

According to the CDC and the state Department of Health, health care providers will determine if someone with symptoms of the disease will get tested.

In CDC guidance to health care workers, the agency said priorities for testing include hospitalized patients who have signs and symptoms of COVID-19, other symptomatic individuals with chronic medical conditions and any health care workers who within onset of symptoms had contact with a COVID-19 patient or have traveled to an affected area of the world.

The state Department of Health said doctors can contact them for advice about testing, but even if the department does not believe testing is necessary (there are no symptoms are mild symptoms involving runny nose and cough), a doctor can order a test through a private, commercial laboratory. Any presumptive positives that come from those tests will be communicated with the department.

The CDC said its diagnostic test can have a negative result if someone is in the early stages of infection, though usually a negative test means the symptoms a person is experiencing is not caused by COVID-19.

Who does COVID-19 affect the most severely?

According to the CDC, some people at higher risk of getting very sick from the disease includes older adults and people who have serious, chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease.

How can the virus be spread?

The Department of Health says the coronavirus spreads just like the flu or cold, through the air by coughing or sneezing, close personal contact (shaking hands), touching an object or surface with the virus on it and occasionally through fecal contamination.

The Associated Press reported that tests by U.S. government and other scientists have found that the coronavirus can live in the air for several hours and on some surfaces for as long as two to three days. The study found that the virus was detected in the air up to three hours after being sprayed (or coughed), and up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

How can you protect yourself?

The Department of Health suggests hygienic practices to help ward off the communicable disease. The department suggests those who are sick to cover their coughs and sneezes with their elbows instead of their hands to prevent the spread of the virus on surfaces, and those who are sick should also stay at home until they feel better, especially if they have a fever.

Both those who are sick and those who aren’t should wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use 60-percent alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap is not available. People should also clean surfaces frequently, including countertops, light switches, cellphones, remotes and other frequently touched items.

The department and other health officials are also pushing “social distancing,” in which people stay at least 6 feet apart from one another.

As of March 13, the CDC is not recommending that people wear masks or respirators, since the department said the spread of viruses tends to be from close contact and because those masks should be readily available for health care workers and others who need them, including those who are sick.

The CDC also recommends people, especially those at higher risk, to stock up on supplies, including over-the-counter and prescription medication.

What is the treatment for COVID-19?

The CDC said not all patients with COVID-19 will require medical care, and clinical management for hospitalized patients is focused on supportive care of complications, including advanced organ support for respiratory failure, septic shock and multi-organ failure.

There are currently no antiviral drugs licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19.

Source:  Cumberlink: https://cumberlink.com/live_well_in_the_cumberland_valley/frequently-asked-questions-on-coronavirus/article_8876bb0e-ffac-5aa3-a80c-cf90dfc0b82c.html