Public Health Image Library (PHIL)

The Public Health Image Library, or PHIL, was designed to share CDC public health images. CDC welcomes public health professionals, the media, laboratory scientists, educators, students, and the public to use this material for reference, teaching, presentations, and public health messages.

Overview

The Coronavirus disease 2019, formerly known as 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease, is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a virus closely related to the SARS virus. The disease is the cause of the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak. It is primarily spread between people via respiratory droplets from infected individuals when they cough or sneeze. Time from exposure to onset of symptoms is generally between 2 and 14 days. Spread can be limited by handwashing and other basic hygiene measures.

Initial Signs and Symptoms

Initial signs and symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, dry cough and shortness of breath. Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms; to severe illness and, death among confirmed, coronavirus disease cases.

Prevention

There is currently no approved vaccine to prevent coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
• CDC does not recommend that people who are NOT sick wear a facemask, for protection against the COVID-19 virus.
• Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.
• The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings(at home or in a health care facility).
• For CDC guidance on PPE for healthcare workers, click on the link below:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/healthcare-supply-ppe.html

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

For information about handwashing, see CDC’s Handwashing website. For information specific to healthcare, see CDC’s Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings.

These are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of several viruses. Click on this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-china

For Print Resources, Videos and Resources for Travel, click on this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/index.html

Treatment

There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for COVID-19, by the CDC.

People with COVID-19 should receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms. For severe cases, treatment should include care to support vital organ functions. People who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider immediately.

Community Preparedness

CDC recommends individuals and families following everyday preventive measures:

• Voluntary Home Isolation: Stay home when you are sick with respiratory disease symptoms. At the present time, these symptoms are more likely due to influenza or other respiratory viruses than to the COVID-19-related virus.
• Respiratory Etiquette: Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw it in the trash can.
• Hand Hygiene: Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60%-95% alcohol.
• Environmental Health Action: Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.

Routine use of these measures by individuals and their families will increase community resilience and readiness for responding to an outbreak.

Outbreaks in Communities

• Personal Protective Measures. During an outbreak in your community, CDC recommends the everyday preventive measures listed above—especially staying home when sick—and taking these additional measures:
• Keeping away from others who are sick
• Limiting face-to-face contact with others as much as possible
• Consulting with your healthcare provider if you or your household members are at high risk for COVID-19 complications
• Wearing a facemask if advised to do so by your healthcare provider or by a public health official
• Staying home when a household member is sick with respiratory disease symptoms if instructed to do so by public health officials or a health care provider (Voluntary Home Quarantine)

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are public health actions that can slow the spread of emerging respiratory diseases like COVID-19 for which vaccines and drug treatments are not yet available.

They include personal protective measures implemented by individuals and community measures implemented by affected communities.  NPIs are used to build community preparedness in communities without known COVID-19 disease and to support outbreak responses in communities where local cases or clusters of diseases have occurred.

• Community Measures. If COVID-19 disease is occurring in your community, state and local public health authorities may decide to implement:
• Temporary closures or dismissals of childcare facilities and schools
• Other social distancing measures that increase the physical space between people, including:
  • Workplace social distancing measures, such as replacing in-person meetings with teleworking
  • Modifying, postponing, or canceling planned mass gatherings.
• Worship Services. These community measures might also include church gatherings for Sunday worship and bible study, and weekly bible classes.
• These measures could impact annual lectureships, gospel meetings and weekly singing events throughout the local and state communities.
• These may also need to be modified, postponed or canceled due to detected infections in their memberships.
• Members should remain home and away from these services if they are sick or infected, in order to protect others from contracting the coronavirus. (Added by WWMCOC.Org).

Decisions about the implementation of community measures will be made by local and state officials, in consultation with federal officials as appropriate, and based on the scope of the outbreak and the severity of illness.

Implementation will require extensive community engagement and ongoing and transparent public health communications.

Preparedness and Protective Actions

Religious leaders should take preparedness and protective actions to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, during congregational gatherings and worship services.

Messages can be delivered over the internet: Facebook, YouTube, or even Zoom; during these outbreaks. To review the Zoom application, click on this link: https://zoom.com/.

• Church leaders must become creative in providing worship opportunities to their memberships. When gathering is hazardous to the health and safety of the worshippers; other methods must be provided, to ensure worship is done in “spirit and in truth,” John 4:24; Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:9-10.
• Members should also maintain their weekly contributions to their congregations; to ensure that church responsibilities are met; and church staff, ministers and families are supported, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30.
• Call teams can be set-up to maintain contact with members and their families.
• During times of emergencies, a community support network must be organized and deployed. (Added by the WWMCOC.Org).

Communication Resources

CDC offers free resources: including video, fact sheets, and posters. Below is a link to current communication tools and resources available for use and distribution, by the CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/index.html

This Facts Sheet has been written, in concert with the collected information from the CDC: as of February 29, 2020; at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

For more information regarding the WorldWide Ministry Church of Christ.org, click on this link: https://wwmchurchofchrist.org/

Contact information: Ronald-e-freeman@wwmchurchofchrist.org

WorldWide Ministry Church of Christ.Org

Evangelist Ron Freeman, Director

P. O. Box 1112

Anniston, AL 36202