COVID-19 Education & Resources

Many of the links below can be found in multiple languages.  Muchos de los enlaces siguientes se pueden encontrar en varios idiomas.

Vaccinations & Boosters:

• Vaccinations are a critical component of medicine and have been formally used  in the US for over 100 years to protect patients from not only illnesses but with targeted goals to prevent what is called disease burden and/or to reduce the severity of an infection.
• It is important to understand that when a person chooses to receive a vaccine, they are protecting their self AND they are also protecting ALL other individuals they come into contact with day to day. It is important to protect each other because some not everyone is able to be vaccinated.  Some of the reasons people may not get vaccinated include, but are not limited to: age,  drug interactions for life-sustaining medications, allergic reactions, other health complications.
• The CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccinations is very detailed and helpful, including their frequently asked questions (FAQ) and myth buster summary
• The NC Department of Health & Human Services website also has great resources regarding the 7 Things You Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccines.

Acute Symptoms:

• There are a wide range of symptoms that patients can experience when infected with COVID-19 with and without vaccination. 
• Symptoms can appear within 2-14 days of exposure to COVID-19
• A Study published in August 2021, proposes that 35.1% of patients with active COVID-19 virus do NOT have symptoms.  These individuals are still contagious to those they come in contact with.

When to Seek Emergency Medical Care: Call 911 to seek emergency medical care immediately if any of the following occur:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

Quarantine vs. Isolation:

• Quarantine: refers to recommendations due to an EXPOSURE to an individual who has tested POSITIVE for COVID-19
• Isolation: refers to recommendations that you PERSONALLY have tested POSITIVE  for COVID-19

Quarantine Guidelines per the CDC, there are no longer current guidelines for quarantine when exposed to individuals with COVID-19.  

• Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
• If possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

Isolation Guidelines per the CDC if you have been within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone who has COVID-19:

• Asymptomatic infection OR Mild COVID-19: should isolate through at least day 5 (day 0 is the day symptoms appeared or the date the specimen was collected for the positive test for people who are asymptomatic).  They should wear a mask through day 10.
• Moderate OR Severe COVID-19:  This severity is determined based on medical findings and low oxygen levels on room air.  These individuals should isolate through at least day 10. Those with severe COVID-19 may remain infectious beyond 10 days and may need to extend isolation for up to 20 days. 
• Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
• If possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

Long-Term COVID-19 Effects:

• Most patients who are infected with COVID-19 recover within a couple weeks of diagnosis. However, some patients continue to experience symptoms after active infection has resolved. 
• The CDC has created education for Post-COVID Conditions and Symptoms that are being studied and followed for issues that are noted at 4 or more weeks after being diagnosed.
• A recent study has shown that COVID-19 vaccination is protective against long-COVID and that effect persists even if vaccination occurs up to 12 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis.