Frequent handwashing with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
Wear a mask when in public, especially where it is difficult to practice social distancing such as in stores.
Keep your hands away from your face until after you have cleaned them.
If the virus is so tiny how can a mask work?
Healthcare workers have been wearing masks for decades to prevent getting or spreading disease. Wearing a mask greatly reduces the spread of droplets that can spread the disease.
A mask does not guarantee that you won’t get COVID-19, but it does reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
Typically, droplets are heavy, travel 3 to 6 feet, and drop to surfaces or the ground. Some of those droplets are so tiny they can remain suspended in the air carrying viruses with them. Wearing a mask makes it very difficult to aerosolize the virus particles.
What are the ages of people testing positive for COVID-19?
All ages
What medications are being used to treat COVID-19?
Young County Public Health Authority, Dr. Pat Martin, has stated, “It depends on what is going on with the individuals. Individuals with mild symptoms may be treated with over the counter medications for symptom management. Patients with moderate to severe symptoms may be treated using oxygen, steroids, respiratory treatments, intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and other medications such as Remdesivir.”
Is there any way to let the public know what towns have positive cases?
GRMC’s data is limited to the number of tests, total number of positives, total number of negatives, repeat positives, and county of origin.
Do you include COVID-19 exposures or antibody testing in your daily counts?
NO, Daily counts DO NOT include exposures, repeat positives or antibody testing.
What is the difference between the Flu & COVID-19?
What is the difference between isolation and quarantine?
Isolation means staying isolated away from people when you have COVID-19. Quarantine means you have been exposed and are staying away from people to prevent the spread.
Individuals under isolation should remain so until at least 10 days have passed since you first developed symptoms or since you tested positive and you do not have any symptoms. You must also be fever free for 24 hours without taking any fever reducing medications and your symptoms have improved.
Individuals under quarantine should stay away from other people for 14 days from time of exposure to a positive case. That being said, critical/essential employees may work while under quarantine as long as they remain without symptoms and follow guidelines regarding personal protective equipment.
Do we assume those that are no longer hospitalized have recovered or have they been transferred?
It could be either, but the majority have recovered without being transferred.
How is Graham Regional Medical Center protecting non-COVID patients from patients with COVID?
We have multiple protocols in place including:
Screening everyone who enters the hospital, clinic, or wellness center for temperature and symptoms;
Screening our employees twice a shift for temperatures and symptoms;
Requiring universal masking for all who enter including our employees unless exempt for medical reasons;
Limiting the number of people in our lobby and waiting areas;
Arranging for outpatients who are being evaluated for COVID to be seen in separate areas of our campus;
Visitor restrictions are in place to prevent the asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 and now influenza.