TOWN OF GULF STREAM COVID19 UPDATE MARCH 13

TOWN OF GULF STREAM COVID-19 UPDATE MARCH 13, 2020

WHAT IS COVID-19? Covid-19 (Coronavirus 2019) is an upper respiratory illness that can be spread from person to person Caused by a coronavirus, it originated in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization declared it as a pandemic as of March 11, 2020. This means that the virus has become prevalent in a large area of the world and can cause severe illness and death. Covid-19 is part of the coronavirus family, and named due to it’s spherical shape with spikes around it giving it the appearance of a crown or the sun’s corona. There is currently no vaccine and no specific antiviral treatment

SYMPTOMS Illness can range from mild symptoms to severe illness Symptoms may appear 2 – 14 days after exposure Symptoms can include: fever of 100. 4°F/38°C or higher, cough and shortness of breath Some patients experience aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, and/or runny nose Symptoms are usually mild, and begin gradually Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell Most people recover from the disease without needing any special treatment

PREVENTION Stay home when you are sick Avoid contact with people who are sick Get adequate sleep and eat well balanced meals Wash hands OFTEN with soap and water for 20 seconds or longer, dry hands completely Use at least 60% alcohol hand sanitizer if washing your hands is not an option Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands or after touching surfaces Cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing and then dispose of the tissue Clean and disinfect “high touch” surfaces often Practice social distancing

WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED… Self isolate, stay at home for 14 days and monitor your symptoms (AVOID CONTACT WITH OTHERS AND DO NOT TRAVEL) As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home, if possible, use a separate bathroom and do not handle animals. Call your doctor and notify them of your symptoms (DO NOT SHOW UP TO YOUR DOCTOR’S OFFICE WITHOUT CALLING FIRST) If your symptoms progress to severe difficulty breathing or extremely high fever that isn’t responding to OTC medications, call 911 or your local emergency room If you have underlining chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, COPD, people with compromised immune systems, smokers, and the elderly are at greater risk for severe symptoms

HOW THE TOWN IS PREPARING Town Hall is restricting visitors into the administrative offices Hand sanitizer has been placed in high traffic areas Daily cleaning of facilities and vehicles Town personnel are following departmental pandemic procedures The town has taken steps to ensure primary business functions and services can continue More information and links to the CDC and the Florida Department of Health websites can be found on the town website at www. gulfstream. org