People with COVID-19 may be asymptomatic or have symptoms that range from mild to severe. It is difficult to predict when a person may experience the most severe symptoms after a positive test.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), in general, if someone tested positive for COVID-19 and had symptoms, then he/she can be around others once 10 days have passed since symptoms began, and he/she is without fever for 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medications), and any other COVID-19 symptoms are improving. These recommendations do not apply to those who have a severe case of COVID-19 nor to people who are immunocompromised.

According to a study published in The Lancet Microbe, under various environmental conditions, no infectious COVID-19 virus could be found on treated wood after two days.

Studies are ongoing to determine whether nutritional supplements such as zinc have an effect on people with COVID-19.

COVID-19 is primarily spread person to person via respiratory droplets or small particles, like aerosols. If infectious respiratory droplets land on objects (such as cash or change), and someone touches the object and then touches his/her mouth, eyes or nose, then he/she may get COVID-19. In general, it is important to maintain excellent hand hygiene, especially after touching commonly used items, such as money.

Now that an effective vaccine for COVID-19 has been developed, the goal for health care experts is to help ensure public confidence in the vaccine. There’s also the need to emphasize that the benefits of the vaccine greatly outweigh mild potential side effects or inconvenience. The possibility of serious complications for anyone who gets the virus, and the public health consequences of the pandemic continuing its course, are strong reasons in favor of getting vaccinated.

No. COVID-19 is caused by a virus (SARS-CoV-2), though some patients with severe infections can develop blood clots. It is thought that the clotting in patients occurs when antibodies that humans produce circulate in the blood, triggering clots in our blood vessels. When this clotting occurs, it is treated with blood thinners. Antibiotics are used for bacterial infections (such as strep throat).

If establishments follow the guidance set forth for standard air conditioning and ensure that surfaces are cleaned correctly, it is ok to visit after cleaning.

Currently, the United States is seeing high levels of community spread of COVID-19, so travel – especially air travel – should be limited. If you are planning to travel, ensure that the place you are staying has policies and procedures in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and you should eat outside or get takeout food whenever possible. Also, do not travel if you are sick.

Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), those diagnosed with COVID-19 are no longer considered infectious if they no longer have fever, if their symptoms have improved, and if they’ve remained in quarantine for at least 10 days. If you have been exposed to COVID-19 and have quarantined for at least 14 days without any symptoms, it is safe for you to be around others. Even after quarantine, it is still important to continue wearing a mask, maintain social distancing, and wash your hands to prevent repeat infection and further quarantining.

If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, you are no longer considered infectious once your fever has stopped even after you are no longer using fever-reducing medications (such as Tylenol), your symptoms have improved, and it has been at least 10 days since your symptoms began. For people who are immunocompromised, it is recommended that you remain in quarantine for 20 days.

There is evidence that wearing a face shield (with a mask) helps protect wearers from respiratory droplets that could come in contact with the eyes. However, there have been no complete studies comparing mask use alone to face shields alone, so it is not recommended to use a face shield as the only protection against COVID-19.