Here’s how:
✓ Stay home if you are feeling unwell, even just a little bit.
✓ Stay home and call your personal doctor if you develop a fever, new and persistent cough (even if it is mild), or shortness of breath. Do not go to the doctor’s office without calling in advance.
✓ Stay home in general, to the extent you can, to avoid getting sick. Be aware that even asymptomatic individuals are capable of transmitting COVID-19 to you. Anyone over 60 years of age is at greater risk for experiencing severe, even life-threatening, symptoms should you get COVID-19 (your risk would be further increased if you have underlying health conditions). Reserve time spent away from home for essential outings only. Cancel non-essential appointments. Cancel non-essential travel.
✓ When you must be in public, practice aggressive social distancing. Social distancing is a public health strategy used to prevent the spread of infection by respiratory droplets. COVID-19 is spread via respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or even speaks. Respiratory droplets can only travel about 6 feet. To combat droplet spread:
o Be mindful, at all times, to keep 6 feet of distance between yourself and others (except close household contacts).
o Do not congregate in groups of more than 10 people. Avoid crowds.
o Stay in touch with friends through phone calls, letters, email, or even video phone calls (for the tech-savvy). If you visit a friend or loved one, do not hug or shake hands when you greet and maintain a distance of 6 feet between you.
✓ COVID-19 can also spread by touching contaminated surfaces. An infected respiratory droplet lands on a surface and then a person touches that surface with a hand. That hand is now contaminated and can infect a person (by touching eyes, nose, or mouth) or can spread the virus further by transferring it to a high-touch surface like a handrail or elevator button that many others will touch. To combat this method of transmission:
o Clean your hands frequently using an alcohol-based rub or soap and warm water. Purposeful, thorough hand cleaning should take about 20 seconds.
o Avoid touching your face. COVID-19 gets into your body through your eyes, nose, and mouth.
o Avoid touching high-touch objects with your fingers. Use your elbow, for instance, to depress an elevator button. Pull our sleeve down over your hand before grabbing a railing. Use your elbow to open a door. Avoid handshakes.