COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. On January 30, 2020 the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.”

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. This is between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. If you believe that you may have the coronavirus, after calling to notify your primary care provider, follow these best practices from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The most common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you have developed symptoms and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 OR you have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19 please call your primary care provider or call the Washington State Department of Health at 1-800-525-0127.

• Stay home, except to get medical care. People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to isolate at home during their illness. Do not go to work, school, or public areas, and avoid using public transportation.
• Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home. Stay away from others as much as possible. You should stay in a specific room away from other people. You should also use a separate bathroom if one is available. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus.
• Call ahead before visiting your doctor. If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them you have, or may have, COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take the appropriate steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
• Wear a facemask out in public. You should wear a facemask even if you are not feeling sick. To find answers to frequently asked questions regarding cloth face coverings, please visit the CDC’s website.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a lined trash can. Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or if soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Clean your hands often. Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
• Avoid sharing personal household items. Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. After using any of these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
• Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day. Clean and disinfect, practice routine cleaning of high touch surfaces. High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.
• Monitor your symptoms. Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is worsening (e.g. difficulty breathing). Call your doctor before you seek care. Ask your primary care provider to call the local or state health department.

• Idaho Public Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• World Health Organization
• Washington State Department of Health