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The City of San Antonio has provided the following
information for residents seeking information about preventing
the spread of COVID-19. The first travel-related case of
COVID-19 was detected on March 12. This person is currently
self-quarantined and Metro Health is conducting an extensive
contact study. This case is not related to the federal
quarantine of cruise passengers.
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has
opened a COVID-19 hotline for residents to ask questions about
the virus. The hotline is available in English and Spanish. Residents
can call 210-207-5779. (Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00
p.m.) Information for the public is also available at: www.sanantonio.gov/health/2019ncoronavirus. Information regarding COVID-19 is also available
in American Sign Language at this link: http://sat.ahasalertscom/ActiveAlerts.aspx?id=1334
Social Distancing: what is it and who should
practice it?
Social
distancing is a
practice in which people maintain safe distances from each
other and avoid direct contact with high touch items in the
community. Here are six ways to practice social distancing:
1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick
2. Avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public
places like elevator buttons, door handles, handrails,
handshaking, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your
hand if you must touch something
3. Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public
places and avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc
4. Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated
spaces. Risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19
may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air
circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick
5. Clean and disinfect your home regularly, including
routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces
6. Maintain a six-foot distance from others in public
settings
Local COVID-19 testing
The City of San Antonio is working with the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services and has asked that the
operation remain on federal ground and use federal resources to
ensure local hospitals and medical capacity are prepared for
potential community spread of COVID-19. San Antonio currently
has a very limited number of test kits and is expected to
receive additional kits by the end of the week, at the request
of local officials.
Who is at a higher risk?
According to the CDC, current knowledge of COVID-19 has shown that
older adults and people who have serious chronic medical
conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or lung disease are
a higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.
What should you do if you feel sick?
If you are feeling sick, call your primary care
physician’s office before going in. If you do not have a
primary care physician, visit any urgent care or walk-in clinic
in the community after calling ahead. If you need to call 911 because you are
experiencing severe and/or life-threatening flu-like symptoms
and/or respiratory issues, be prepared to answer additional
questions. Additionally, San Antonio Fire and EMS are
practicing social distancing. If you see EMS crews keep a
distance, don’t be alarmed, the crews will evaluate the
emergency and respond as appropriate. Depending on the care you
need, San Antonio Fire and EMS may decide to wear additional
personal protective equipment, do not be alarmed. These
measures are being used to maintain the safety of first
responders.
Six practical COVID-19 prevention tips:
The best way to prevent infection is to take
precautions to avoid exposure to this virus, which are similar
to the precautions you take to avoid the flu. CDC always
recommends these everyday actions to help prevent the spread of
respiratory viruses, including:
1. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at
least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with
unwashed hands.
3. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
4. Stay home when you are sick.
5. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then
throw the tissue in the trash.
6. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and
surfaces.
What to know about COVID-19 testing:
1. If you are feeling sick, call your primary care
physician’s office before going in.
2. If you do not have a primary care physician, visit
any urgent care or walk-in clinic in the community.
3. Community physicians and other clinical providers
have access to CDC protocols to determine whether or not
patients qualify for COVID-19 testing.
4. Local testing for COVID-19 is currently available
only by sending samples to the CDC, in coordination with Metro
Health and the CDC.
5. People who do not have CDC-defined symptoms and
exposure history will not be offered testing for COVID-19.
6. If you need additional information call the Metro
Health hotline at 210-207-5779. (Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00
p.m.).
More information:
The flu continues to be a much more serious issue
in the U.S. than COVID-19. There
is a higher incidence for elderly and people with chronic
health conditions. Therefore, slowing the potential
spread of the virus will help protect people at
higher risk.
How do people become infected with COVID-19?
Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an
infected person to others through:
· Respiratory droplets released into the air by
coughing and sneezing;
· Close personal contact, such as touching or
shaking hands;
· Touching an object or surface with the virus on
it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your
hands.
What are the symptoms?
Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection have
reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms
of:
· Fever
· Cough
· Shortness of breath
At this time, CDC believes that symptoms of
COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days
after exposure.
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