Carteret County issued the following announcement on March 25.
The Carteret County Health Department continues to urge residents to do their part in helping control the spread of Coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Carteret County. To keep individuals and communities safe, the Carteret County Health Department recommends several things that residents can do if they feel sick.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people who get COVID-19 will recover without needing medical care. For that reason, people who think they have COVID-19 showing mild symptoms such as fever and cough without shortness of breath or difficulty breathing are encouraged to isolate themselves at home, separate themselves from others within the household as much as possible, and call their medical provider for advice. People can stop isolating themselves when they answer “yes” to all three questions: 1) Has it been at least 7 days since you first had symptoms? 2) Have you been without fever for three days (72 hours) without any medicine for fever? 3) Are your other symptoms improved?
It is extremely important for people at higher risk of getting sick to call their medical provider if they develop symptoms of fever or cough. High-risk individuals include: those 65 years or older; have a high-risk condition like chronic lung disease; moderate to severe asthma; heart disease with complications; have a compromised immune system; severe obesity or underlying medical conditions. Since pregnant women are known to be at risk for severe illness from other viruses, they should also be monitored closely.
For individuals with more serious or worsening symptoms, please call your medical provider or 911 immediately. Those symptoms include worsening shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, confusion, or blue lips.
At this time, testing is most important for people that are seriously ill such as those in the hospital, in a high-risk setting like a long-term care facility or nursing home, and health care workers and other first responders caring for those with more serious infections. As we face a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment, the Carteret County Health Department wants to ensure that critical supplies needed to care for people who need medical attention are reserved.
For the latest information on COVID-19, please visit the NC Department of Health and Human Services website (https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19- response-north-carolina) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Original source can be found here.
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