COVID-19
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What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2. It can be very contagious and spreads quickly. Over one million people have died from COVID-19 in the United States.
COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel much like a cold, the flu, or pneumonia. COVID-19 may attack more than your lungs and respiratory system. Other parts of your body may also be affected by the disease. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill.
Symptoms of COVID-19:
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. Possible symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you are sick:
- Stay Home and away from others
- Improve ventilation (air flow) to help from spreading to other people
- Monitor your symptoms
- Practice good hygiene and cleaning
- wash your hands often
- cover your cough and sneezes
- Wear a mask when around other people
Symptoms can range from mild to severe. The high risk population can get very sick from COVID-19.
When to isolate:
Regardless of your COVID-19 vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you test positive for COVID-19. If you are sick and haven’t taken a test yet, you should also isolate until you take the test and get your results. If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. You are the most infectious during the first 5 days.
When you have COVID-19, isolation is counted in days, as follows:
If you had no symptoms:
- Day 0 is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result)
- Day 1 is the first full day following the day you were tested
- If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset
If you had symptoms:
- Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive
- Day 1 is the first full day your symptoms started
If you would like someone to contact you, please fill out our contact form.
You can also call the Marion County Public Health Department at 641-828-2238.