WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET COVID-19

The CDC has some really helpful resources on what to look for and how to respond to COVID-19.  We wanted to give a brief breakdown of what you should do if you think you are sick.  Having a plan often makes the unknown less scary or daunting.  We encourage each of you to take a few minutes to read this over and to make preparations to have easy access to supplies and phone numbers that you might need.

First of all know the most common symptoms of COVID-19:

• Fever
• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath

If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and have the symptoms listed above…

1. Call your health care provider
   • If you don’t have a health care provider, call Williamson County Health Department (615) 794 - 1542.  They will refer you to a clinic.
2. Stay home and rest
   • Your health care provider should give you instruction on what to do and what to look out for.  Thankfully, our doctors and experts are just a phone call away!
3. Stay Calm
   • Possibly having a contagious illness is scary, but with each day doctors, nurses, and caregivers are learning more and more about COVID-19.  Trust your doctors and nurses to walk you through this.

If your symptoms are more severe, such as

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

Seek medical attention immediately. Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 immediately.  Let the hospital know you have COVID-19 so they can be best prepared to help you.

Most people will have a mild reaction to COVID-19.  The best thing to do is to stay home, rest, drink lots of fluids, and keep your distance from people and animals.  The CDC recommends that the person affected by COVID-19 be isolated from all members within the household, if possible.  If that is not avoidable, make sure to wear a mask whenever in close proximity to others.

You can also take fever reducers, cough medicine, and use humidifiers to help your healing process. If you don’t have medicine on hand, it might be a good idea to grab some for the family.  Not out of fear, but preparedness.
 
If you are a caretaker of someone with COVID-19, be sure to wash your hands frequently, wear a mask if possible, and wash clothes, towels, and bedding frequently.  It is also recommended to clean all “high- touch” surfaces every day.  Again, there are really helpful resources on the CDC website.

If you don’t have a caretaker, be sure the let friends and family know what you need as you recover. We are all going to need to lean on each other through this time.  Also, don’t hesitate to email us at info@redemptioncity.com.  We are happy to help anyway we can!