Everything you need to know about staying healthy during COVID-19
7/22/2020
As we continue to fight COVID-19 in our communities, we rely on each other now more than ever to help keep each other safe and healthy. There is currently no vaccine for COVID-19, meaning the best way to stop the spread is to take a few extra steps in our daily lives that prevent us from sharing and contracting the virus.
How does it spread?
Research shows COVID-19 is mainly spread from person to person. This means that being in close proximity to someone could make you susceptible to spreading and/or contracting the virus. The most common way to transfer the virus from one person to another is through respiratory droplets that exit your mouth and nose when coughing, sneezing and talking.
How to protect yourself and others
First and foremost, the CDC recommends maintaining a physical distance from those outside your household. Since both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals can transmit the virus, it is important to stay at least six feet away from others. This will drastically reduce the likelihood of spreading and contracting the virus.
When it’s not possible to social distance, the CDC recommends wearing a non-medical mask to help protect others from your own respiratory droplets. Cloth face masks covering your mouth and nose can be extremely effective in reducing the transmission of respiratory droplets, especially when it is impossible to maintain the recommended six-foot distance from those around you. Even if you don’t feel sick, you can still be carrying the virus and infect others. To protect everyone inside Newberry Hospital, we require you to wear a mask when you’re inside the building. We recommend opting for a non-medical face covering that fits properly over your nose and mouth, leaving the medical masks for healthcare professionals and those who require extra protection.
As always, it’s important to cover your coughs and sneezes when you're not wearing a mask. Even if you think it’s allergies or completely unrelated to COVID-19, it’s always best to keep your germs to yourself and wash your hands diligently after with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Continue washing your hands frequently and remember to wash them before eating, after leaving a public place, after handling your mask, after caring for someone who’s sick, after touching animals, after using the restroom, before touching your face and any other time you may have come in contact with the virus.
Even though surfaces are not believed to be the main method of transmission, you should be cleansing and disinfecting daily to kill any germs that may have made their way inside. Wipe down surfaces you touch every day such as tables, doorknobs, lightswitches, faucets, and handles as well as your phone, headphones, keyboard and other objects you take with you outside the house.
What to do if you’re feeling sick
Stay home and keep your distance by physically separating yourself as much as possible from others in your household. Try to isolate yourself in a specific room and wear a non-medical face mask if you have to be around other people. Avoid leaving the house other than for medical care and avoid public places where you might easily infect others. It is advised to recover from mild cases at home by getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated. However, you should stay in touch with your doctor and contact them in advance if you need non-urgent medical attention.
Monitor your symptoms daily. Check for common symptoms of the virus like fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache or GI symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Make sure you’re taking proper care of your health while also protecting those around you. If you experience any emergency warning signs, such as trouble breathing, persistent chest pains, confusion, inability to stay awake, or bluish lips or face, please call Emergency Medical Services here at Newberry Hospital. We’re always here to help.
When to get tested
In May 2020, DHEC announced a statewide testing to help residents of South Carolina identify and understand coronavirus. If you believe you have been exposed to the virus, please visit one of the many testing centers in our state. Newberry Hospital is not a DHEC testing site. You must have a referral to get a COVID-19 test at Newberry.
Newberry Hospital COVID-19 precautions
It is important during this time to stay healthy, which also means going to the doctor or hospital if you are experiencing health issues, whether it be COVID-19-related or otherwise. Do not hesitate to seek help or book important appointments such as mammograms, lab work and blood tests at Newberry Hospital. We are doing everything we can to make our hospital a safe space for patients with any and all health needs. When you arrive at Newberry Hospital, a staff member will escort you through the Emergency Department (ED) entrance, ask you a series of screening questions and take your temperature. If you are here for an appointment, you will still enter through the ED and be escorted to your destination. However, if you are coming for a MRI or rehab appointment, please do not come to the hospital. Instead, register for your appointment at the rehabilitation desk located within the Professional Building. To further protect patients and staff, we require all patients to wear a mask inside the hospital and are not allowing visitors at this time.
NCMH will continue to abide by CDC recommendations. Like and follow the Newberry Hospital Facebook page for any updates. If you have any questions about an upcoming appointment, procedure or patient care, please contact us.