{"id":6767,"date":"2020-03-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prd-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=6767"},"modified":"2022-03-30T23:36:15","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T23:36:15","slug":"five-things-you-need-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/five-things-you-need-to\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things you need to know about novel coronavirus (COVID-19)","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

By MultiCare Health System<\/strong><\/p>\n

We know many of you have questions and concerns about COVID-19 in your community. Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness, so it is important to be informed about how to protect yourself and others.<\/p>\n

Here are five things you need to know to keep yourself and others healthy.<\/p>\n

1. Know the symptoms<\/h3>\n

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. COVID-19 has similar symptoms to the flu, which include coughing, fever, sore throat and difficulty breathing. For the most updated guidance, symptoms and information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a> website.<\/p>\n

2. Know what to do if you get sick<\/h3>\n

Stay home when you are sick. If you have a fever over 100.4 degrees, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance.<\/p>\n

A call to your provider, urgent care facility or our Virtual Care<\/a> services would be the first step to begin evaluation of your symptoms. This will help them take care of you and keep other people from getting infected or exposed.<\/p>\n

MultiCare\u2019s clinical teams have been trained on how to identify, isolate and care for patients with COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses. We follow evidence-based guidelines for testing based on the CDC and other sources.<\/p>\n

MultiCare is currently offering free e-visits for a limited time for anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms through our Virtual Care<\/a>, where our providers will also help you navigate to the next appropriate step, if testing for COVID-19 is warranted.<\/p>\n

If you are having difficulty breathing or a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department.<\/p>\n

3. Know the process for COVID-19 testing<\/h3>\n

Not everyone who is sick needs to be tested for clinical care purposes. Anyone with a fever and cough should\u00a0take steps to protect others in the community. If you are sick, you need to stay home. If you are sick and need to visit a health care provider, wear a mask and practice meticulous hand washing. The process for testing is as follows:<\/p>\n