CDC Recommendations
What are some of the steps we can do personally?
- Stay home when you are sick! Staying home when ill prevents the spread of infections to others.
- Use good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene in all community settings, including homes, childcare facilities, schools, workplaces and other places where people gather. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and put the used tissue in a waste basket. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
- Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (with at least 60-95% alcohol).
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth: Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
If you are experiencing or showing signs of fever, cough, shortness of breath or breathing difficulty, or have been in contact with someone who may have been exposed to COVID-19, contact your doctor’s office immediately and stay home to await further instruction.
Additional Information from the CDC
- What You Need to Know About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Maine CDC - 2019 Novel Coronavirus
- Facts About COVID-19
- Common Coronavirus vs. Novel Coronavirus
- CDC Protects and Prepares Communities
- Stop the Spread of Germs
- Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019
- What to Do If You Are Sick with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Talking to Children During Infectious Disease Outbreaks