Courtesy of San Benito County:
San Joaquin Valley Counties Collaborate on Campaign to Promote Self-Isolation for Those Who Are Sick
The San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium has launched a new messaging campaign providing instructions to residents experiencing COVID symptoms. The tagline of the campaign; “Don’t Feel Great – Self-Isolate” urges residents who feel sick to isolate away from others including members of their own household to slow the spread of COVID-19. The website provides specific instructions on how you can isolate, even in a large family with limited space. Two new websites have been launched to provide clear step-by step instructions: valleycovidhelp.com in English and ayudadelvallecovid.com in Spanish. The websites are a collaboration between the 11 health departments that make up the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium: Calaveras, Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne.
According to the website, individuals who are experiencing symptoms of COVID should:
- C – Contact Your Job and Tell Them You are Sick
- O – Observe Your Symptoms
- V – Visit Your Local Public Health Website
- I – Isolate From Others
- D – Determine Your Close Contacts
“San Benito County, the State of California and the entire nation is experiencing an alarming spread of COVID-19 this summer that will continue to get worse before it gets better. Fortunately there are three simple steps that each of us can do to stamp out this virus: 1) stay home if you are feeling sick or when exposed to someone feeling ill, 2) wear a face covering whenever in public and 3) do not rely on testing. Because of limited testing and delayed results, we must presume that anyone with symptoms may have COVID and must self-isolate for at least 10 days with the last 3 with no fever,” stated San Benito County
Department, Interim Public Health Officer, David Ghilarducci, MD, FACEP.
As a reminder, symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, shivering, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, and new loss of taste or smell. The risk of COVID can be lowered through social distancing, wearing face coverings, and practicing proper hygiene.
