Grant Regional Health Center is encouraging the public to prepare, not panic - when it comes to the emerging concerns regarding the Coronavirus. The best thing we can do as a community is to stay informed and take common-sense precautions to guard against this and other viruses.
Coronavirus Testing
Regarding testing, we want to help the public better understand the necessary process and procedures that our hospital has put into place to give priority to patients experiencing symptoms and those at higher risk with chronic conditions.
- We will providing testing to patients who present with symptoms and meet certain criteria
- Test kits and testing will be given in order of priority to those who meet criteria and have the related symptoms
- While we want to assure patients that their symptoms are not related, we need to be mindful of the state lab facilities and not overwhelm or inundate with tests that perhaps aren’t necessary due to no symptoms present
- It is our goal to test suspected cases so those positive for COVID-19 can be isolated and their close contacts quarantined.
Who should be tested for COVID-19?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sets specific criteria for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, and that has been evolving. Grant Regional Health Center is following a specific procedure with criteria to determine whether there is a need for a patient to be tested for COVID-19. Testing is not currently recommended for those who do not have symptoms.
I might have been exposed. What should I do?
If you have had close contact (within 6 ft.) with someone confirmed to have COVID-19 and have symptoms (fever, cough or difficulty breathing), call your doctor first before going to the clinic or hospital.
The CDC advises people who have no symptoms but believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their last potential exposure.
If You Have COVID-19 Symptoms
What should I do if I think I (or someone in my family) have COVID-19 symptoms?
- If you have mild symptoms (fever, cough or difficulty breathing), call your physician before going to the clinic or hospital. Review your signs, symptoms and travel history thoroughly with them.
- If you have severe symptoms, or you have underlying conditions, such as a weakened immune system or chronic respiratory disease, call your family physician or ER for guidance on how to seek care without exposing others.
- Call ahead before you visit any care center and let them know that you think you may have COVID-19.
- Stay home when possible; separate yourself from other people and animals at home. Although there have not been reports of animals becoming sick with COVID-19, the CDC still recommends people with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus.
- Be vigilant about practicing virus prevention, including proper hand hygiene and covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. See "Prevention Steps" below.
- Wear a surgical mask, when possible, during close contact with others; close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of someone else. For those who are sick, a mask can reduce the number of droplets coughed into the air.
Prevention Steps
How can I protect myself and others from COVID-19 infection?
The best way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to stay informed and to use the same common-sense precautions you take to guard against other illnesses like the flu.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when handwashing isn’t an option.
- Cough or sneeze into your sleeve (the crook of your elbow), shirt or a tissue, not into your hands, and encourage kids to do the same.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and encourage those around you to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
- Stay home if you’re sick and do not return to work, school or social activities until you have been fever-free for at least 48 hours without medication.
- Clean commonly touched surfaces in your home and workplace with bleach, ammonia or alcohol-based disinfectants. Wipe down and disinfect things like doorknobs, light switches, refrigerator handle(s), TV or stereo remote controls, computer keyboards, your home telephone, cellphones and other touchscreen devices, etc.
- If you develop a fever, cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for instructions on how to seek care without exposing others.
While there are no EPA-registered disinfectants specifically listed as having the ability to kill COVID-19, related viruses with similar physical and biochemical properties can be killed with bleach, ammonia or alcohol, or cleaning agents containing any of these disinfectants.
How does COVID-19 spread?
Current understanding about how COVID-19 spreads is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses. COVID-19 is a new disease, and there is more to learn about how it spreads, the severity of illness it causes and to what extent it may spread in the United States.
Person-to-person spread: The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
Spread from contact with infected surfaces or objects: It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest). Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
There is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging, because of poor survivability of other coronaviruses on surfaces. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods, but there is still a lot that is unknown about how the newly emerged COVID-19 spreads.
As this situation unfolds, we will continue to closely monitor CDC and public health officials' guidance. We urge all Americans, especially those at higher risk, to take all reasonable precautions to protect their health.