What We Know:
- COVID-19 symptoms include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- May appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure
- Person-to-person spread mainly occurs via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes (similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread). In rare cases, it may be possible that COVID-19 can be transmitted by touching an infected surface or object.
- People are thought to be most contagious when they are most ill. Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms.
- Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (DPH) are not recommending personal face masks be used by individuals who do not have prolonged exposure to individuals who have been identified as at risk.
What You Can Do:
Older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung, or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. Early data suggest older people are twice as likely to have serious COVID-19 illness.
- Consult with our health care provider for more information about monitoring your health for symptoms suggestive of COVID-19.
- Have supplies on hand.
- Contact your health care provider to obtain extra necessary medications to have on hand in case there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community and you need to stay home for a prolonged period of time.
- If you cannot get extra medications, consider using mail-order for medications.
- Be sure you have over-the-counter medicines and medical supplies to treat fever and other symptoms. Most people will be able to recover from COVID-19 at home.
- Have enough household items and groceries on hand so that you will be prepared to stay at home for a period of time.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, take extra measures to put distance between yourself and other people. Stay at home as much as possible and avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces.
- Make a plan for what to do if you get sick
- Stay in touch with others by phone or email. You may need to ask for help from friends, family, neighbors, and community members if you become sick.
- Determine who can provide you with care if your caregiver gets sick.
- Take everyday preventive actions
- Clean your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
- If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
- Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.
- Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
- Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones)
- Stay informed by signing up for our City’s Mass notification system at NotifyLA.org.
What To Do If You Get Sick:
Stay home and call your doctor.
- Call your healthcare provider and let them know about your symptoms. Tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help them take care of you and keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
- If you are not sick enough to be hospitalized, you can recover at home. Follow CDC instructions for how to take care of yourself or someone at home.
- Know when to get emergency help
- Get medical attention immediately if you have any of the emergency warning signs listed above.
For more information, visit the following websites: