Coronavirus: COVID-19

PROTECT YOURSELF

With the growing concerns of COVID-19 (coronavirus) across the country and signs that the virus is spreading in Utah, it’s important for residents to take critical steps now to help prevent the spread of the virus. There is no need to overreact to the situation, but we encourage everyone to take common sense steps to limit the COVID-19 threat.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

We encourage all residents to proactively employ these prevention methods, recommended by the the Utah Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

Keep hands clean. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Wear a mask.
Avoid physical contact with people who are sick.
Avoid gatherings over 10 people.
Avoid touching your face (eyes, nose, mouth) with unwashed hands.
Avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public spaces.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are frequently touched in your home and place of work.

If you’re worried about whether you may have COVID-19, please call the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707.

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Wearing Masks

Wear masks with two or more layers to stop the spread of COVID-19
Wear the mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin
Masks should be worn by people two years and older
Masks should NOT be worn by children younger than two, people who have trouble breathing, or people who cannot remove the mask without assistance
Do NOT wear masks intended for healthcare workers, for example, N95 respirators
CDC does not recommend the use of gaiters or face shields. Evaluation of these face covers is on-going but effectiveness is unknown at this time.
More info available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html

When to Quarantine

Quarantine is for people who are not sick and don’t have any symptoms of COVID-19, but who may have been exposed to it. You may be asked to quarantine for 14 days if you have been exposed to the virus. If someone in your house tests positive you should quarantine.

When to Self-Isolate

Self-isolation is for people who are already sick or have tested positive for COVID-19. Everyone who lives in your house should stay at home if someone in your house tests positive for COVID-19.

Protect Your Business, Employees

Business owners and employers may be concerned about how the novel coronavirus could impact their workplace, and employees may be concerned about stigma or discrimination.

Click here for recommended strategies to protect your workplace.

Symptoms

Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.^*

Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath

*This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses.

Treatment

There are no specific treatments for illnesses caused by human coronaviruses. Most people with common human coronavirus illness will recover without treatment. However, you can do some things to relieve your symptoms:

Call your Primary Care Provider
Take pain and fever medications (Caution: Do not give aspirin to children).
Use a room humidifier or take a hot shower to help ease a sore throat and cough.
If you are mildly sick: drink plenty of liquids, stay home, and rest.