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What is the Coronavirus?

What is the coronavirus?

Cornavirus are a large family viruses that are known to cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Symptoms of Persons Infected with Coronavirus

Common symptoms include:

coughing
fever
headache
shortness of breath
breathing difficulties

In more severe cases, infection causes:

pneumonia
kidney failure
severe acute
respiratory syndrome and even death

These common symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

Stay at home if you have experienced any of these symptoms.

Numbers to Call

Do not go to a health center, doctor’s office, pharmacy, or hospital.

Self-isolate immediately and call the following telephone numbers:

Kingston and St. Andrew Health Department
876-926-1550-3

St. Thomas Health Department
876-537-9362

St. Catherine Health Department
876-537-9362

Adults, 65 years and older, are at higher risk for severe illness. COVID-19 is a new disease and we are learning more about it every day.

What You can do to prevent getting the virus

If you have a serious underlying medical condition:

Stay home
Wash your hands often
Avoid close contact (6 feet, which is about two arm lengths) with people who are sick
Clean and disinfect frequently touched services
Avoid all cruise travel and non-essential air travel
Call your healthcare professional if you have concerns about COVID-19 and your underlying condition or if you are sick