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COVID-19 Prevention & Self-Care
Slow the Spread of COVID-19
COVID-19 is everywhere in our community and all areas in Loudoun are at risk. It's important to know the symptoms of COVID-19, what to do if you become sick and precautions we all need to take to slow the spread.
Symptoms
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person.
- Symptoms can include fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), cough, trouble breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell.
- According to the CDC, illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Symptoms may appear 2–14 days after exposure.
- Persons can be infected with COVID-19 and pose a risk to others without noticing any symptoms.
- Older adults and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher risk for more serious complications from COVID-19. Seek care early.
CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker
VDH COVIDCheck
COVIDWISE Exposure Notifications App
What to Do if You are Sick
Residents are encouraged to follow these instructions to self-monitor illness and to inform close contacts when becoming ill.
- If you develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your doctor or an urgent care center to discuss.
- Find a COVID-19 Testing location using the Virginia Department of Health Locator Map.
- You should not go to any emergency room unless it is an emergency, for example, you are having difficulty breathing.
- The Loudoun County Health Department does not provide testing or evaluate ill individuals.
- Stay home. Avoid contact with others, do not share personal items, and use a separate bedroom and bathroom, if possible.
- Monitor your health. Call 911 if you develop trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, or bluish lips or face.
- Wear a face covering that covers your nose and mouth when around other people.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow.
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces every day.
- Do not leave home until fever-free for 24 hours (without medication) AND at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
- Inform close contacts. Talk to everyone who has been within 6 feet for more than a few minutes while you were sick, including the 48 hours BEFORE you developed symptoms. Encourage them to stay home for 14 days and provide them the above guidance for those who had close contact with someone who is sick.
COVID-19 Prevention
We all need to take COVID-19 precautions to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19 including:
- Covering your mouth and nose with a face covering when in public
- Washing hands often and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Staying at least 6 feet away from others
- Staying home when sick
- Avoiding crowds of people, parties at peoples’ homes and other gatherings
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
- Avoid non-essential travel
More details about face coverings requirements and physical distancing is below.
A face covering can help prevent individuals who do not know they are carrying COVID-19 from transmitting the virus to others. The cloth is intended to catch droplets from your nose and mouth that may be projected when you talk, sneeze, cough and breathe. By limiting the potential of these droplets from landing on others and on surfaces, you can reduce the spread of the coronavirus and other germs even when you do not have symptoms .Learn more about using face coverings on the CDC website.
Face Covering Requirement in Virginia
Executive Order 72 (PDF) requires everyone aged five and over to wear face coverings in indoor settings shared with others and when outdoors within six feet of another person
It is strongly recommended that children older than two wear face coverings. Children aged two and under should never wear a face covering. A person who has trouble breathing, who cannot secure or remove the face covering without assistance, or who has a medical condition limiting the use of face coverings should not wear a face covering.
Where am I required to wear a face covering?
Face coverings must be worn in the following locations:
- Inside essential and non-essential brick and mortar retails establishments
- Inside personal care and personal grooming establishments
- Inside places where people congregate, including places of worship, waiting rooms, and libraries
- Inside food and beverage establishments, except when eating or drinking
- When utilizing public transportation, as well as when in any waiting or congregating areas associated with boarding public transportation
- When accessing state or local government services
- All employment settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained
- In outdoor settings where you are not able to maintain six feet of physical distance between yourself and others
- In all Loudoun County Government facilities
How to wear a face covering
- Wear a cloth face covering to cover your nose and mouth.
- Use simple cloth face coverings made at home from common materials at low cost. Get instructions on how to make your own face covering.
Follow these tips for wearing and caring for cloth face coverings:
- Make sure there are no gaps around your nose and mouth.
- Wash your hands before putting on a face covering.
- Be careful not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth when removing your face covering.
- Wash your hands immediately after removing the covering.
- Routinely wash face coverings.
Physical distancing is one way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Infectious diseases do not respect boundaries. Each individual is a critical part of the community mitigation strategy.
- Maintain distance of approximately 6 feet from others when possible
- Avoid congregate settings and mass gatherings.
- Except when necessary, avoid:
- Public places where close contact with others may occur (such as shopping centers, movie theaters, stadiums, parks, playgrounds)
- Workplaces (unless office space allows distancing from others)
- Schools and other classroom settings
- Local public transportation (such as on a bus, subway, taxi, ride share, plane, ship)
- Avoid physical contact when greeting such as handshakes, hugs and high-fives
- Those who are at greater risk of complications from COVID-19, such as older adults and individuals with underlying health issues or compromised immune systems, should limit contact with others
- View more tips from Virginia Department of Health
- View additional guidance from the CDC
County Government Facilities
- Physical distancing measures are currently in place for the safety of the community and staff in county facilities.
- You may notice changes in how we deliver service as we maintain a distance of 6 feet between individuals.
- Please obey posted signage.
Receive updates from Loudoun County
- Text LCCOVID19 to 888777 to receive text alerts from Loudoun County about COVID-19
- Sign up for email and text updates on COVID-19 in Notify Me, Blogs category
- Follow the Loudoun County Government Facebook Page and @LoudounCoGovt
Loudoun County Public Schools
Contact us with Questions
- Email the Health Department
- Call the information line: 703-737-8300
- Monday-Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.