THE UNDERSTANDING OF COVID19 & Things to know about covid-19

Understanding Coronavirus (COVID-19) What Is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Coronavirus (COVID-19 its variants, and our understanding of the virus that causes it continues to evolve. It was first detected in China and has now been detected in over 100 countries, including the United States. The virus has been named coronavirus (COVID-19). The disease is believed to have originally occurred from animal-to-person contact and spreads person-to-person.

Take Preventive Actions

Understanding Coronavirus (COVID-19) What Is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Everyday actions can prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. Protect yourself and others with these tips:

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 rub with at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are used often, such as cellphones, door knobs, and light switches.
Cough or sneeze into your elbow or cover your nose and mouth with a tissue.
Avoid touching your face.
If you do become sick, stay home and limit contact with others in your home as much as possible.

Coping with Stress During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

Everyday actions can prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. Protect yourself and others with the

You may experience a range of emotions while dealing with the changes to your normal routine and the added worry about your loved ones. Those with existing mental health conditions may be especially vulnerable with the added stress of coronavirus (COVID-19). The CDC offers resources to help Manage Anxiety and Stress, including information about:

Understanding stress and coping
Reducing Stress in Yourself and Others
Tips for Parents
Tips for Responders
Tips for People Who Have Been Released from Quarantine

Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines

Coping with Stress During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine will also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help us get back to normal. Learn more about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. It typically takes two weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19. That means it is possible a person could still get COVID-19 before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection. People are considered fully protected two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

You should keep using all the tools available to protect yourself and others until you are fully vaccinated. After you are fully vaccinated, you may be able to start doing some things you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. Learn more about what you can do when you have been fully vaccinated.

Get tested at home for COVID-19!

The best way to protect those around you from COVID-19 is to not be around others when you have it. The only way to know for sure if you have it is to get tested. While there are plenty of places in Philadelphia to get tested for COVID-19, testing yourself at home is frequently easier and quicker.

Why is at-home testing important?

At-home COVID-19 testing is important because it gives you and your housemates the flexibility to get tested at any time without having to take time away from work or school. If someone wakes up and does not feel 100 percent, you can grab a test you already have on-hand to rule out a COVID-19 infection and can start the day without messing up your schedule. If the test comes back positive, the sick person can hop right back in bed and not expose anyone else.

There are a number of other benefits to you and your community from using an at-home COVID-19 test:

You’ll know what the result is within a few minutes as opposed to waiting a few days for a PCR test result to come back.
By having the ability to test at home, it helps relieve some of the burden from the existing health care community, who can then focus testing resources on those who need them.
At-home rapid antigen tests use the same technology as antigen tests used by health care professionals, so they are just as effective in detecting an active COVID-19 infection.

Where can you get a COVID-19 test?

Order two sets of 4 at-home COVID-19 tests for free through COVIDtests.gov
Many local neighborhood and online retailers or pharmacies have at-home COVID tests available for purchase

If you have health insurance, your insurance company can reimburse you for the cost of the tests that you purchase. They are required to provide reimbursement for 8 at-home tests per month, for each person enrolled on the plan. Health plans will reimburse up to $12 per individual test. If you do this, you will need to submit receipts for tests that you’ve purchased to your health plan, along with any other necessary documentation required by the health plan. The federal government has more information on how to get reimbursed for purchasing at-home COVID-19 tests.

The Health Department is working with community organizations to run COVID-19 Resource Hubs and other distribution events that distribute at-home tests at no cost to individuals:

Individuals do not need insurance or an ID of any kind to receive a test.
Everyone is eligible to receive 2 at-home test kits.
Health Department staff is available on-site to provide instructions on how to use the test, isolation/quarantine guidance, and answer any questions.

Distribution Locations and Hours of OperationAmtrak 30th Street Station2955 Market Street, 19104Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 10:00am-3:00pmBethany Baptist Church5747 Warrington Avenue, 19143Monday-Friday: 10:30am-5:30pm; Saturday: 9:30am-12:30pmMi Salud Wellness Center200 East Wyoming Avenue, 19120Monday and Thursday: 9:00am-4:00pm; Tuesday: 11:30am-6:30pm; Wednesday and Friday: 7:30am-1:30pmMt. Enon Baptist Church500 Snyder Avenue, 19148Monday-Friday: 11:30am-6:30pm; Saturday: 9:30am-4:30pmQuartermaster Plaza – COMING SOONWest Oregon Avenue and 23rd Street, 19145To Be DeterminedThe Shoppes at LaSalle – STARTING April 12, 20225301 Chew Avenue, 19138Monday-Saturday: 10:30am-5:30pmTioga United
(through 5/31 only)1539 West Venango St, 19140Sunday-Friday: 2:30pm-7:00pmWhitman Plaza330 West Oregon Avenue, 19148Sunday-Friday: 11:30am-6:30pm

How do you use at-home COVID-19 tests?

All at-home COVID-19 tests come with instructions on how to use them and interpret the results. The CDC has a website that goes over how to take an at-home COVID-19 tests. And the Health Department has created videos to demonstrate how to use some of the more popular at-home tests:

It’s also important to remember that the solutions used in at-home COVID-19 tests are not for drinking or putting on food or putting in your eye. Use them only for their intended purpose.