Basic Symptoms of Covid-19 / Coronavirus
Short Video on How to Make Your Own DIY Face Mask
How to Make Your Own DIY Face Mask from Denim
Learn more about the coronavirus at the CDC website:
Symptoms can range from mild to severe illness with symptoms of: Fever, Cough, Shortness of Breath. These can develop over a period of 14 days.
Signs that should be of concern (seek medical attention): Persistent pain or pressure in the chest, trouble breathing, new confusion, bluing of lips or face.
Prevention: The virus is mainly spread through person-to-person contact, please try to keep a distance of 6 feet or more when in public and try to avoid direct contact. Continue to practice social distancing. The best way to prevent contraction of the virus is to avoid being exposed. Continue to wash hands frequently and thoroughly and use hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol. If you want to wear a face mask, please use the links above for instruction on a DIY option. If possible, try not to use a mask that could be used by a healthcare professional (due to the shortage of masks across the country).
Infection: If you believe that you have become infected please contact your healthcare professional before going to see them, they will be able to provide specific instructions for their facility and the next steps you need to take. (If it is a true emergency, do what you feel needs to be done for care.) If you must go to a clinic, hospital, etc., please take steps to prevent the spread (face mask, washing hands, etc.)
Additional Resources
American College of Emergency Physicians:
https://www.acep.org/corona/covid-19-field-guide/cover-page/
Great resource especially for first responders.
Society of Critical Care Medicine:
- For those first responders interested in a deeper dive into the medicine involved in critical care.
Critical Care for the Non-ICU Clinician – All free content with sign-up
The New England Journal of Medicine:
https://www.nejm.org/coronavirus
- A mixture of editorial, perspective and journal articles from clinicians at the top of their field.
- Great resource for active duty and all civilians. With all the field hospitals being set up all over the country and scarcity of resources; the information provided here has never been more applicable. Guidelines, Training, Position Papers, Podcast, PFC 101 and Telemedicine.
- Podcast specifically on the advantages of Prone positioning. Very applicable topic with great pathophysiology. https://prolongedfieldcare.org/2019/07/03/podcast-episode-53-ventilating-in-the-prone/