COVID (Corona Virus) Safety

The Atlanta Inquirer family hopes that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and are planning a safe and great Winter Holiday season.

Remember that COVID-19 / Corona is still a very contagious virus and still very active. Please be safe.

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising, per the Centers of Disease Control (CDC).

Please wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet apart, avoid crowds, and wash your hands often. The more steps we take, the more you and others are protected against COVID-19.

More information at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Holiday Celebrations and Gatherings: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html

Wearing a mask helps protect others in your community. Wear masks in public settings, like on public transportation, at events and gatherings, and anywhere you will be around other people.

Choose masks that have two or more layers
Make sure your mask covers your nose and mouth
Wash your mask regularly

Know how it spreads

COVID-19 spreads easily from person to person, mainly by the following routes:

Between people who are in close contact with one another (within 6 feet).
Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes, sings or talks.

Respiratory droplets cause infection when they are inhaled or deposited on mucous membranes, such as those that line the inside of the nose and mouth.

People who are infected but do not have symptoms can also spread the virus to others.

Less common ways COVID-19 can spread

Under certain circumstances (for example, when people are in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation), COVID-19 can sometimes be spread by airborne transmission.
COVID-19 spreads less commonly through contact with contaminated surfaces.

Everyone Should…

Wash your hands often

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
It’s especially important to wash:
- Before eating or preparing food
- Before touching your face
- After using the restroom
- After leaving a public place
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After handling your mask
- After changing a diaper
- After caring for someone sick
- After touching animals or pets
If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact

Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.
Outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.
- Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.
- Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people.
- Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others

Masks help prevent you from getting or spreading the virus.
You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.
Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- Masks should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
Do NOT use a mask meant for a healthcare worker. Currently, surgical masks and N95 respirators are critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders.
Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The mask is not a substitute for social distancing.

Cover coughs and sneezes

Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
Throw used tissues in the trash.
Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean and disinfect

Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
Then, use a household disinfectant. Most common EPA-registered household disinfectantsexternal icon will work.

Monitor Your Health Daily

Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
- Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.
Take your temperature if symptoms develop.
- Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.
Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.