CS 316120-A 03/20/2020
cdc.gov/COVID19
Steps to help prevent the spread
of COVID-19 if you are sick
FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW: If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have it, follow the steps below to help
protect other people in your home and community.
Stay home except to get medical care
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.
Avoid public transportation: Avoid using public transportation,
ride-sharing, or taxis.
Separate yourself from other people in your
home, this is known as home isolation
Stay away from others: As much as possible,
you should stay in a specic “sick room”
and away from other people in your home.
Use a separate bathroom, if available.
Limit contact with pets & animals: You should restrict contact
with pets and other animals, just like you would around
other people.
ɞ Although there have not been reports of pets or other
animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still
recommended that people with the virus limit contact
with animals until more information is known.
ɞ When possible, have another member of your
household care for your animals while you are sick with
COVID-19. If you must care for your pet or be around
animals while you are sick, wash your hands before
and after you interact with them. See COVID-19 and
Animals for more information.
Call ahead before visiting your doctor
Call ahead: If you have a medical
appointment, call your doctors oce or
emergency department, and tell them you
have or may have COVID-19. is will help
the oce protect themselves and other patients.
Wear a facemask if you are sick
If you are sick: You should wear a facemask
when you are around other people and
before you enter a healthcare provider’s oce.
If you are caring for others: If the person who is sick is not able
to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble
breathing), then people who live in the home should stay in
a dierent room. When caregivers enter the room of the sick
person, they should wear a facemask. Visitors, other than
caregivers, are not recommended.
Cover your coughs and sneezes
Cover: Cover your mouth and nose with a
tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Dispose: row used tissues in a lined trash can.
Wash hands: Immediately wash your hands with soap and
water for at least 20 seconds. 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
Wash hands: Wash your hands often with
soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
is is especially important after blowing
your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to
the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not available, use an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol,
covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them
together until they feel dry.
Soap and water: Soap and water are the best option,
especially if hands are visibly dirty.
Avoid touching: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
with unwashed hands.
Avoid sharing personal household items
Do not share: Do not share dishes, drinking
glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or
bedding with other people in your home.
Wash thoroughly after use: After using these items, wash them
thoroughly with soap and water or put in the dishwasher.
Clean all “high-touch surfaces everyday
Clean high-touch surfaces in your isolation
area (“sick room” and bathroom) every day;
let a caregiver clean and disinfect high-touch
surfaces in other areas of the home.
Clean and disinfect: Routinely clean high-touch surfaces in
your “sick room” and bathroom. Let someone else clean
and disinfect surfaces in common areas, but not your
bedroom and bathroom.
ɞ If a caregiver or other person needs to clean and
disinfect a sick person’s bedroom or bathroom, they
should do so on an as-needed basis. e caregiver/other
person should wear a mask and wait as long as possible
after the sick person has used the bathroom.
High-touch surfaces include phones, remote controls,
counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom xtures, toilets,
keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.
Clean and disinfect areas that may have blood, stool, or body uids
on them.
Household cleaners and disinfectants: Clean the area or item
with soap and water or another detergent if it is dirty.
en, use a household disinfectant.
ɞ Be sure to follow the instructions on the label to
ensure safe and eective use of the product. Many
products recommend keeping the surface wet for
several minutes to ensure germs are killed. Many also
recommend precautions such as wearing gloves and
making sure you have good ventilation during use of
the product.
ɞ Most EPA-registered household disinfectants should
be eective. A full list of disinfectants can be found
hereexternal icon.
Monitor your symptoms
Seek medical attention, but call rst: Seek
medical care right away if your illness
is worsening (for example, if you have
diculty breathing).
ɞ Call your doctor before going in: Before going to the doctors
oce or emergency room, call ahead and tell them your
symptoms. ey will tell you what to do.
Wear a facemask: If possible, put on a facemask before you
enter the building. If you can’t put on a facemask, try to
keep a safe distance from other people (at least 6 feet
away). is will help protect the people in the oce or
waiting room.
Follow care instructions from your healthcare provider and local
health department: Your local health authorities will give
instructions on checking your symptoms and reporting
information.
How to discontinue home isolation
People with COVID-19 who have stayed home
(home isolated) can stop home isolation under
the following conditions:
ɞ If you will not have a test to determine if you are still
contagious, you can leave home after these three things
have happened:
§ You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is
three full days of no fever without the use medicine
that reduces fevers)
AND
§ other symptoms have improved (for example, when
your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
AND
§ at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms
rst appeared
ɞ If you will be tested to determine if you are still contagious,
you can leave home after these three things have
happened:
§ You no longer have a fever (without the use
medicine that reduces fevers)
AND
§ other symptoms have improved (for example, when
your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
AND
§ you received two negative tests in a row, 24 hours
apart. Your doctor will follow CDC guidelines.
In all cases, follow the guidance of your healthcare provider and local
health department. e decision to stop home isolation should be
made in consultation with your healthcare provider and state
and local health departments. Local decisions depend on local
circumstances.
More information is available here.
Additional information for healthcare providers: Interim
Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations
for Persons Under Investigation for 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
Call 911 if you have a medical emergency: If you have a
medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the operator
that you have or think you might have, COVID-19. If possible,
put on a facemask before medical help arrives.
If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19
get medical attention immediately.
Emergency warning signs include*:
Diculty breathing or shortness of breath
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusion or inability to arouse
Bluish lips or face
*is list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical
provider for any other symptoms that are severe or
concerning.