For most people, the immediate risk of becoming seriously ill

from Coronavirus (COVID-19) is thought to be low.

Know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19/Coronavirus:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

What to do if you are sick?

• Stay home. People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to recover at home. Do not leave, except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.
• Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you feel worse or you think it is an emergency.

When to seek IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION?

If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 seek medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

• Avoid public transportation. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.

Who is at higher risk?:

• Older adults
• Individuals with chronic medical conditions

Everyday preventative actions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Wash your hands

Wash your hands often with soap and water, lathering for at least 20 seconds. Dry your hands using a clean towel, paper towel, or air dry. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Disinfect often

Disinfect surfaces that are touched frequently using disinfectant spray or wipes.

Cover your cough and sneeze

Use a tissue or your elbow when you cough or sneeze.

Stay home when sick

Whenever possible stay home when sick to keep yourself and others safe.

Maintain social distancing

Limit close contact with others as much as possible (about 6 feet). Keep away from others who are sick. Stay home from work, school, and all activities when you are sick with a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

Wear a cloth face covering

Wear a cloth face covering in public settings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings should NOT be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance. Cloth face coverings recommended by the CDC are NOT surgical masks or N-95 respirators that are critical supplies reserved for healthcare workers. For further guidance see: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM25135

Plan and Prepare

Talk with the people who need to be included in your planning. These may be household members, relatives, or friends to discuss what the needs of each person may be. Consider you would you do if you could not go to work or school because of illness?  Think about how you could prepare if your child’s school or childcare provider or facility is temporarily closed for days or weeks. If you are the caregiver of a person with a brain injury, who might support you if you became ill?  How would you get groceries, medications, and other essential items if you or key household members became ill? These are all questions to think about.

 

Suggestions:

1)    A Health Passport

A Health Passport is a nationwide communication tool that you can carry with you when attending hospitals or other providers of health and disability services. Health care professionals can read it to find out everything you want them to know. The Health Passport is a tool to communicated important medical information such as medications, health conditions, providers, emergency contact information. It can also serve as your tool to communicate your expert knowledge to others. For templates of a health passport see:

http://flfcic.fmhi.usf.edu/resources/materials/health.html

 

2)    Stay in touch and take care of each other

Stay in touch with others by phone or email. If you live alone and become sick during a COVID-19 outbreak, you may need help. If you have a chronic medical condition and live alone, ask family, friends, and health care providers to check on you during an outbreak. Stay in touch with family and friends with chronic medical conditions.

Take care of the emotional health of your household members. Outbreaks can be stressful for adults and children. Children respond differently to stressful situations than adults. Talk with your children about the outbreak, try to stay calm, and reassure them that they are safe.

 

Resources for parents and children impacted by school closures:

 

Khan Academy Kids App (Ages 2-7)

Khan Academy Kids App provides a personalized learning path that dynamically adapts, ensuring each child is presented with activities, books, educational videos, and creative lessons that allow them to learn at their own pace, creating an individualized experience for every learner.

Highlights Kids (Ages 2-12)

Highlights Kids offers a variety of age-appropriate activities, jokes, games, and videos for children ages 2-12.

National Geographic for Kids (Ages 6+)

National Geographic Kids features educational games, videos, and other activities for children ages 6+.

Scholastic Learn at Home (Grades Pre-K-6+)

Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys offered by Scholastic with each day including four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video.

ABCya (Grades Pre-K-6+)

ABCya provides over 400 fun and educational games that are categorized by grade and subject, while covering a wide variety of topics.

Funbrain (Grades Pre-K-8)

Funbrain offers hundreds of games, books, comics, and videos that develop skills in math, reading, problem-solving, and literacy.

eSpark (Grades K-5)

eSpark automatically differentiates for your K-5 children based on their current needs, giving them targeted instruction in reading and math with diverse third-party games, videos, and resources that spark a love of learning and help children practice new skills. 

Sumdog (Grades K-8)

Sumdog provides personalized math and spelling practice that children love with adaptive learning and multi-player games.

Khan Academy (Grades K-12+)

Khan Academy allows children to practice at their own pace, first filling in gaps in their understanding and then accelerating their learning with lessons covering math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, and more.