In this post I list CDC Resources on COVID-19 that I have reviewed again today.
What to Do If You Are Sick
Updated Sept. 11, 2020If you have a fever, cough or other symptoms, you might have COVID-19. Most people have mild illness and are able to recover at home. If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider.
- Keep track of your symptoms.
- If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), get emergency medical care immediately.
When You Can be Around Others After You Had or Likely Had COVID-19
Updated Sept. 10, 2020If you have or think you might have COVID-19, it is important to stay home and away from other people. Staying away from others helps stop the spread of COVID-19. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), get emergency medical care immediately.
CDC recommends that all people, whether or not they have had COVID-19, take steps to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19. Wash hands regularly, stay at least 6 feet away from others whenever possible, and wear masks.
For more information:
Coronavirus Self-Checker
Updated Sept. 10, 2020The Coronavirus Self-Checker is an interactive clinical assessment tool that will assist individuals ages 13 and older, and parents and caregivers of children ages 2 to 12 on deciding when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
The online, mobile-friendly tool asks a series of questions, and based on the user’s responses, provides recommended actions and resources.
Here is the link to the Corona Virus Self-Checker
Overview of Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Updated Sept. 18, 2020:This document provides a summary of considerations and current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations regarding SARS-CoV-2 testing strategy. The CDC recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 testing have been developed based on what is currently known about COVID-19 and are subject to change as additional information becomes available.
Screening K-12 Students for Symptoms of COVID-19: Limitations and Considerations
Updated July 23, 2020This document provides guidance to K-12 schools on COVID-19 symptom screening as part of a school reopening process. The guidance detailed here is intended only for students in K-12 school settings. The number of reported children with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) infection who experience symptoms, the types of symptoms they experience, and the severity of those symptoms differs from adults. Additionally, the consequences of excluding students from essential educational and developmental experiences differ from excluding individuals from other settings. Therefore, the considerations described here are different than those for other settings and populations. For guidance related to screening of teachers and staff, please refer to CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the “Prevent Transmission Among Employees” section of CDC’s Resuming Business Toolkitpdf icon.
From the above resource:
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Table. Many symptoms of COVID-19 are also present in common illnesses Symptoms of COVID-19 Strep Throat Common Cold Flu Asthma Seasonal Allergies Fever or chills X X Cough X X X X Sore throat X X X X Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing X Fatigue X X X X Nausea or Vomiting X X Diarrhea X X Congestion or Runny Nose X X X Muscle or body aches X X X - Note: The table above does not include all COVID-19 symptoms
- Available for Downloadpdf icon
The overlap between COVID-19 symptoms with other common illnesses means that many people with symptoms of COVID-19 may actually be ill with something else. This is even more likely in young children, who typically have multiple viral illnesses each year. For example, it is common for young children to have up to eight respiratory illnesses or “colds” every year. [1]Although COVID-19 and illnesses like colds or the flu have similar symptoms, they are different disease processes.
Students who are sick with contagious illnesses should not attend school, but most illnesses do not require the same level or length of isolation that COVID-19 does. Excluding students from school for longer than what is called for in existing school policies (e.g., fever free without medication for 24-hours) based on COVID-19 symptoms alone risks repeated, long-term unnecessary student absence.
Symptom screenings alone are inadequate to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission because of the limitations mentioned. Even when symptom screenings are implemented, other mitigation strategies (such as promoting healthy behaviors, maintaining healthy environments, maintaining healthy operations, and preparing for when someone gets sick) are still needed to help protect students, teachers, and staff from COVID-19.
The exact level of effectiveness of symptom screening in schools is not known at this time. While screening may reduce some SARS-COV-2 transmission in schools, transmission may still occur because of asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and mildly symptomatic students. Additionally, because symptom screenings will likely identify individuals who have symptoms that are unrelated to COVID-19 and, at times, unrelated to any infectious illness, students may be inappropriately excluded from school, which may cause unintended harm. It is because of these limitations that CDC does not currently recommend that universal symptom screenings be conducted at schools.
