Prevention
Health officials recommend taking the same
precautions for COVID-19 as you would for avoiding colds and the flu:
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Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
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Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow.
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Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
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Stay home when you are sick.
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Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily, like phones, tables, doorknobs, light switches, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
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Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Symptoms
The CDC believes that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear 2–14 days after being exposed to the virus:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
If you have been in close contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19 in the past two weeks
AND develop symptoms,
call your doctor.
If you have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19 AND develop symptoms,
call your doctor.
If you don't have a doctor or health care provider, or are uninsured, contact a federally qualified Community Health Center.
If you are planning a trip overseas, keep an eye on the news and check the CDC's Information for Travelers.
For additional COVID-19 information in
Spanish and
Somali, visit our
translated materials page.