Getting vaccinated means: you can spend time with friends and family in person, safely and without posing a risk to your loved ones.
Vaccines are now available for everyone who is at least 5 years old. If everyone gets vaccinated, we can help get our kids safely back to school and make sure they have happy, successful lives.
Contact your County today to find a vaccination site near you or go to myturn.ca.gov
To slow the spread of COVID-19 it is important for all of us to do our part. Quarantine and self-isolation protects not only you, but your family & friends - learn more below.
Do you have any of these symptoms? (even mild)
If so, ASSUME YOU HAVE COVID & SELF ISOLATE
Go to step 2
TELL THEM YOU ARE SICK
Do not go to work or leave your home.
If you are sick, even with mild symptoms do not go to work. Going to work puts co-workers and customers at risk of exposure to COVID-19 and leads to the spread of infection. If you are at work and become sick, tell your supervisor and leave immediately. For more information see Benefits for Workers Impacted by COVID-19.
While at home, do not leave except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.
Take Care of Yourself: Get rest and drink lots of fluids. Take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), to help you feel better.
NOTE WHEN THEY START & END
Monitor your symptoms daily & ideally twice a day. Self-monitoring is easy & takes less than 1 minute.
Ask yourself these questions every day:
1. Do I have a fever over 100.4? If you have a thermometer use it. If not simply ask yourself if you feel feverish.
2. Am I having chills?
3. Do I have a new or worsening cough?
4. Do I have new or worsening shortness of breath or difficulty breathing?
5. Do I have muscle pain?
6. Do I have a headache?
7. Do I have a sore throat?
8. Do I have loss of taste or smell?
Get tested immediately after having symptoms. Remember:
Visit the testing page for your local health department for testing options in your county. The quicker you are tested, the quicker you have results.
If sick, continue to stay home until:
1. Symptoms are not present AND
2. The test you took on day 5 or later is negative
If unable to test or choosing not to test and symptoms are not present, quarantine can end after day 10.
If you did not have symptoms (asymptomatic), isolate for at least 5 days after the first positive COVID test. Isolation can end after day 5 if symptoms are still not present and a diagnostic specimen collected on day 5 or later tests negative. If unable to test or choose not to test, isolation can end after day 10. Visit the "Isolation & Quarantine" page for more information.
Most people will recover at home without visiting their doctor or the emergency room. However, seek emergency medical care immediately if you have :
Visit your local public health website for more information or call 2-1-1 in Merced and Fresno or 3-1-1 in Madera to find out resources available to you that are specific to your location.
INCLUDING THOSE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, isolation is one of the most important things you can do as soon as you have any symptoms.
What is the difference between isolation and quarantine?
Isolation: Separates those infected with a contagious disease from people who are not infected.
Quarantine: restricts the movement of persons who were exposed to a contagious disease in case they become infected.
Generally, this means separating yourself from other people and pets in your home. Doing this quickly reduces the chance of you spreading your illness to others that you love in your home. You should stay in isolation until 3 days after your symptoms to make sure it is safe for your family and friends.
How do you Isolate?
You do not need to go to a separate location. Even if you live in a home with many people you can still isolate. See the CDC guide for large families living in the same household (English|Spanish).
Read basic tips on "Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 when you are sick" from the CDC for more information & resources.
A close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes starting from 48 hours before the person began feeling sick until the time the patient was isolated. 15 minutes can be cumulative over a day (5 minutes exposure + 5 minutes exposure + 5 more minutes exposure over a day would equal being exposed). This may include co-workers, family members, or friends.
It’s important to identify who your close contacts are as quickly as possible. The sooner people know they may have been exposed, the more we can stop the spread of COVID-19.
Example - How to identify your close contacts
Scenario: You start to feel sick Wednesday. Immediately, you stay home from work and isolate from everyone including your spouse and one child that lives with you in your household. You went to work on Monday and Tuesday, the 48 hours prior. During those shifts there are 20 other employees at the job. However, only three work within 6 feet of you and were in contact for a period of 10 minutes.
Q: Who are your close contacts?
A: In this scenario your spouse and child are close contacts because you live with them and presumably exposed them prior in the 48 hours prior to having symptoms. The three employees who worked within 6 feet of you would also be close contacts. However the other employees who worked in the same shift would not be since they were not within 6 ft.
Copyright © 2022 Updated 01/07/22
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