At this time, the CDC continues to recommend people contact a primary care provider for a complete assessment. A healthcare provider will be able to assess and if indicated, test for flu or other viruses. If you have had direct contact with someone who has been diagnosed and has symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and fever, you should call tell your health care provider when you call.

As with any illness:

• Stay home when you are sick. Remain home for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (without taking fever-reducing medication) or signs of a fever (i.e., chills, feeling warm, flushed appearance).
• Limit your contact with others
• Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow or with a tissue, then immediately discard the tissue in the trash.
• If you feel ill enough to dial 911, you must inform the dispatcher of any risk factors

The CDC continues to recommend people contact a primary care provider for a complete assessment. A healthcare provider will be able to assess and if indicated, test for flu or other viruses. If you have had direct contact with someone known to have tested positive with COVID-19 or have recently returned from an area with a high incidence of COVID-19, please inform your healthcare provider before you go to your appointment. If your healthcare provider believes you should be tested but does not have the capability to test you, please have them contact PCDOH.

Some healthcare providers are offering telemedicine visits, a virtual visit through your computer or phone.

PCDOH does not have drive-through testing available on a regular basis. When a drive-through clinic is scheduled, it will be by appointment only for those who meet the testing criteria set by NYS and CDC. The criteria include having symptoms and direct contact with a lab-confirmed case or travel to a country with a Level 2 or Level 3 Travel Health Notice.

The CDC continues to recommend people contact a primary care provider for a complete assessment. A healthcare provider will be able to assess and if indicated, test for flu or other viruses. If you have had direct contact with someone known to have tested positive with COVID-19 or have recently returned from an area with a high incidence of COVID-19, please inform your healthcare provider before you go to your appointment.

If your healthcare provider believes you should be tested but does not have the capability to test you, please have them contact PCDOH.

We do not release the name or town of the residents who have positive results. PCDOH follows HIPAA (patient privacy) and New York State DOH regulations, protecting this information.

Putnam County has a small number of cases, small enough where anonymity cannot be preserved if we release the town. NYSDOH determines the threshold for the number of cases when we can start to share that information. This is the same for reporting any other disease.

Result turnaround time varies depending on which lab is running the test. Some private labs can take up to 6 days to provide results.

Depending on the test, a local health department will only be informed of positive results, not that a test has been sent. This is the case with any of the diseases on the notifiable disease list created by the CDC.

PCDOH does not have the total number of tests done in Putnam since private physicians are now able to perform testing. Private doctors are not required to share their testing numbers with us. As with all reportable diseases, we receive information regarding every lab-confirmed positive in our county, regardless of where the testing took place. This is the case for most other health departments.

We strongly believe that releasing information regarding testing done by our staff and not every site in the county would be an inaccurate representation. PCDOH is committed to providing accurate information and keeping residents well-informed. We report case numbers as soon as they are lab confirmed and we will continue to keep our social media and our website up to date with that information as well.

The CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting the household as usual. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily (e.g., tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet handles) using a regular household detergent and water.

If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent and water prior to disinfection. For disinfection, a list of products with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved emerging viral pathogens claims, maintained by the American Chemistry Council Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC), is available at Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fighting Products or https://www.americanchemistry.com/Novel-Coronavirus-Fighting-Products-List.pdf

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. We recommend everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, including:

• Practice Social Distancing
• 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 sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Cough into your elbow, or cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Do not share personal items such as water bottles.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Stay home when you are sick.

Unfortunately, there is not enough information to know for sure yet.

This virus can remain stable and possibly infectious for several hours to several days, depending on where it is located. For example, it can remain as an aerosol in the air for up to three hours. On cardboard it can remain up to 24 hours, and on plastic or stainless steel it remains stable for two to three days. This stability is similar to the original SARS virus.

Source: National Institutes of Health.

Common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of Breath

Putnam County has an Isolation and Quarantine plan as part of our Public Health Emergency Preparedness Planning. It has been reviewed and adjusted for COVID-19. There are people in Putnam under isolation being monitored closely. Each resident that is identified as needing to isolate will receive a phone call with instructions and written guidance.

Once a lab-confirmed case is identified, our communicable disease staff immediately begin to perform “contact tracing.” This means that every person with a positive result is interviewed to find out who they have been in contact with and then we call the contacts directly. These contacts are monitored as needed.

PCDOH does not release the names or places of residence of the people who have positive results. We follows HIPAA (patient privacy) regulations, which protects this information.

CDC recommendations regarding travel change frequently.

For the most updated travel information visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

For more information about state, federal and global decisions, please visit the following websites:

• NYSDOH: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/
• CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• WHO: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

If you are not feeling well, stay home and away from others as much as possible until you are symptom-free for 24 hours.

If you have been in contact with a person with a lab-confirmed COVID-19 result, you should self-quarantine.

If you have been in contact with a person who was in contact with a person with a lab-confirmed positive result, you do not need to quarantine. IF the person you’ve been in contact with develops symptoms or tests positive, you should self-quarantine.