Henry J. Austin Health Center does not have the ability to test for COVID-19 | If you think you need testing call 800-222-1222
WHAT IS 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)?
Sometimes a novel (meaning “new”) type of coronavirus emerges and begins infecting humans. The type of coronavirus that has recently emerged in Wuhan, China is a new type of coronavirus and is infecting people for the first time, which means people do not have any immunity to it. It is causing an outbreak of respiratory illness.
COVID-19 is a generally mild illness, especially for children and young adults. About 1 in every 5 people who catch it will need hospital care. Older persons and persons with pre-existing medical conditions appear to develop serious illness more often than others.
There is limited information at this time on the full range of clinical illness associated with this virus. However, it is causing symptoms consistent with a respiratory illness such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms have varied from mild to severe. CDC believes at this time that symptoms of 2019 nCoV may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
IF YOU ARE FEELING ILL:
If you are ill and have symptoms such as cough and fever, it is recommended that you stay at home and do not attend public gatherings or go to work or school.
Contact the New Jersey Department of Health Call Center: 1-800-222-1222 or 1-800-962-1253 if in NJ but using a non-NJ cell phone. Call center is open 24/7 and has multi- language capacity. The call center is not able to diagnose individuals or give specific medical recommendations. Callers who need medical advice should contact their healthcare provider.
PUBLIC HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS:
Follow good respiratory hygiene recommendations.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve, not your hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Stay home if you are sick and avoid sick people.
Review and follow CDC travel advisories when planning travel. If you become ill after returning home to the United States, call your healthcare provider before going to a doctor’s office or emergency department of a hospital. They may want to place a mask on you before you enter the building to protect other people.
IS THERE TREATMENT?
There is no treatment and no vaccine. Most people will only need supportive care at home. Patients should go to the emergency room only if they feel sick enough that they might need to stay in the hospital; for example, if they are too short of breath to walk across the room.
A mask will not keep you from catching COVID-19, and routine use of masks is not recommended. Wearing a mask is recommended if you have symptoms such as cough, sneezing, or fever to prevent the spread to other people.
TRAINING FOR FRONTLINE STAFF:
https://landing.medtrainer.com/mck-coronavirus-training/
IMPORTANT UPDATES CAN BE FOUND ON THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WEBSITE: nj.gov/health.
