Introduction:
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus discovered in 2019. The virus spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Some people who are infected may not have symptoms. For people who have symptoms, illness can range from mild to severe. Adults 65 years and older and people of any age with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe illness. The CDC advises that everyone aged 6 months and older stay Up-to-Date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses to decrease the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 illness and severe disease.

COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus discovered in 2019. The virus spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Some people who are infected may not have symptoms. For people who have symptoms, illness can range from mild to severe. Adults 65 years and older and people of any age with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe illness. The CDC advises that everyone aged 6 months and older stay Up-to-Date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses to decrease the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 illness and severe disease.

Vaccinations

Minority Outreach

K-12 Schools and Childcare

Vaccination Record Request

Data

Board of Health Resolutions

Treatment Locations

Testing

Symptoms of Covid-19

People with Covid-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms.

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

COVID-19 Guidance

Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County prioritizes the health and well-being of our Montgomery County residents. The CDC advises that everyone aged 6 months and older stay Up to Date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses to decrease the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 illness and severe disease.

Staying up to date with recommended vaccinations
Staying home when you are sick
Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue
Washing hands frequently with soap and water or using hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available.

Exposure to COVID-19

Wear a mask for 10 full days when around others. Day 0 is the day of your last exposure to someone with COVID-19.
Test immediately, any time you develop symptoms of COVID.
If you remain symptom free, get tested at least 5 full days after your last exposure.

Positive Test Result	Negative Test Result
Stay home – isolate from others	Continue to wear a mask through Day 10
Tell others you have had recent contact with that they may have been exposed	Contact your healthcare provider if you have questions about your test result, or symptoms worsen. You may have another infection, such as the flu, where early diagnosis and treatment may help prevent severe illness
Ask your doctor if treatment is right for you	You may have COVID-19 but have tested before the virus was detectable. Consider testing again 48 hours after the first negative test, for a total of two tests.

Isolation

If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days, and isolate from others. Day 0 is the day your symptoms began, or the day you tested positive if you have no symptoms

Stay home – Isolate from others for at least 5 days*
Tell others you have had recent contact with that they may have been exposed
Ask your doctor if treatment is right for you.
Wear a mask around others through at least Day 10 OR until you have 2 negative tests 48 hours apart (may be sooner or later than Day 10).

*For isolation to end, symptoms must be improving, with no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications. Longer isolation may be advised by your doctor if you had severe disease or complications (immune compromise, hospitalization, etc.)

Get four free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests this fall on COVIDTests.gov

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Treating COVID-19

If you have COVID-19 and are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, treatments are available that can reduce your chances of being hospitalized or dying from the disease. Medications to treat COVID-19 must be prescribed by a healthcare provider and started as soon as possible after diagnosis to be effective. Contact a healthcare provider right away to determine if you are eligible for treatment, even if your symptoms are mild right now.

Don’t delay: Treatment must be started within days of when you first develop symptoms to be effective.

People who are more likely to get very sick include older adults (ages 50 years or more, with risk increasing with age), people who are unvaccinated, and people with certain medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system. Being vaccinated makes you much less likely to get very sick. Still, some vaccinated people, especially those ages 65 years or older or who have other risk factors for severe disease, may benefit from treatment if they get COVID-19. A healthcare provider will help decide which treatment, if any, is right for you. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are taking other medications to make sure the COVID-19 treatments can be safely taken at the same time.

Treatments

The FDA has authorized antiviral medications to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in people who are more likely to get very sick.

Antiviral treatments target specific parts of the virus to stop it from multiplying in the body, helping to prevent severe illness and death.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines for healthcare providers to help them work with their patients and determine the best treatment options for them. Several options are available for treating COVID-19. They include:

Treatment	Who	When	How
Nirmatrelvir with Ritonavir (Paxlovid) Antiviral	Adults; children ages 12 years and older	Start as soon as possible; must begin within 5 days of when symptoms start	Taken at home by mouth (orally)
Remdesivir (Veklury) Antiviral	Adults and children	Start as soon as possible; must begin within 7 days of when symptoms start	Intravenous (IV) infusions at a healthcare facility for 3 consecutive days
Molnupiravir (Lagevrio) Antiviral	Adults	Start as soon as possible; must begin within 5 days of when symptoms start	Taken at home by mouth (orally)

Some treatments might have side effects or interact with other medications you are taking. Ask a healthcare provider if medications to treat COVID-19 are right for you. If you don’t have a healthcare provider, visit a Test to Treat location or contact your local community health center or health department.

If you are hospitalized, your healthcare provider might use other types of treatments, depending on how sick you are. These could include medications to treat the virus, reduce an overactive immune response, or treat COVID-19 complications.

Convalescent Plasma

Some people with COVID-19 who are immunocompromised or are receiving immunosuppressive treatment may benefit from a treatment called convalescent plasma. Your healthcare provider can help decide whether this treatment is right for you.

Know Your COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level

Take action to protect yourself and others in your area from COVID-19.

COVID-19 County Check

Find hospital admission levels and prevention steps by county.

View County Data

Individual-Level Prevention Steps You Can Take Based on Your COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level

LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH

At all COVID-19 hospital admission levels:

Stay up to date on vaccination.
Maintain ventilation improvements.
Avoid contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
Follow the recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
If you are at high risk of getting very sick, talk with a healthcare provider about additional prevention actions.

MEDIUM AND HIGH

When the COVID-19 hospital admission level is Medium or High:

If you are at high risk of getting very sick, wear a high-quality mask or respirator (e.g., N95) when indoors in public.
If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick, consider self-testing to detect infection before contact, and consider wearing a high-quality mask when indoors with them.

HIGH

When the COVID-19 hospital admission level is High:

Wear a high-quality mask or respirator.
If you are at high risk of getting very sick, consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed.

Community-Level Prevention Strategies

LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH

At all COVID-19 hospital admission levels:

Promote equitable access to vaccination, testing, masks and respirators, treatment and prevention medications, community outreach, and support services.
Ensure access to testing, including through point-of-care and at-home tests for all people.
Maintain ventilation improvements.
Provide communications and messaging to encourage isolation among people who test positive.