For Immediate Release

12/15/2020                        

Phone: 980-432-1800
Website: www.rowancountync.gov/covid-19
Email: covid-19@rowancountync.gov

Rowan County Case Information: https://bit.ly/rowan-covid19-hub

*Please note that Rowan County Public Health has moved their COVID testing site to the West End Plaza(1935 Jake Alexander Blvd., West), as of Wednesday, Dec. 9th.

**Also please note, Rapid Testing that was scheduled at Rowan Helping Ministries on December 16th has now been moved to Rowan County Public Health (1811 East Innes Street) from 9 am to 12 noon. 

Do You Need a COVID Test and What to Expect After the Test

For many who have come in contact with someone who is COVID positive and/or if you start feeling sick, you may be confused or hesitant in whether or not you need or want to get tested for COVID-19.  Please do the responsible thing and get tested, especially if you have the following symptoms:

• Fever or chills
• A cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Loss of taste or smell
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea 

Please note that these symptoms may be mild to severe and may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Also, you may be COVID positive and not have any symptoms, but you still can infect others around you and not even know that you are that you are doing so.

What happens after you get tested? 

As a part of being a responsible citizen, you should self-quarantine after testing and stay at home until you receive your test results. Once your test results are known to our COVID-19 Team, someone from Rowan County Public Health will contact you with additional instructions. Rowan County Public Health receives positive results from any site you are tested at – not just the sites that we offer. At that time, a member of our COVID-19 Team will either share with you that are negative and you are free to return to work or school; or that you are positive and you will need to stay in self-isolation.  

What if I am positive?

If you are positive, our COVID-19 Team will also need to know the following things from you, which will help us in our Case Investigation:

• Your symptoms
• Any pre-existing conditions
• If you have been hospitalized since being tested
• Your travel history
• Whether or not you are in school
• Whether you live in a congregate care facility
• Your place of employment
• Do you work in a healthcare facility
• Who lives in your home
• Who you have come in contact with 48 hours before your symptoms appeared; or if you are asymptomatic and have no symptoms, who you were in contact with 48 hours before getting tested

If you are found to be COVID-19 positive, you should:

• Stay at home, except to get emergency medical care. People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to recover at home, but should not leave or visit public areas.
• Separate yourself from other people in your home; and as much as possible, stay in a specific “sick room.” Use a separate bathroom, if available. Also, limit any contact with your pets and animals, knowing that COVID-19 can also be passed along to them.
• If you have a medical appointment, please call your doctor’s office and tell them you are COVID positive. Most likely, they will want you to reschedule your appointment or they may suggest that you visit with them using your computer and the telehealth features of their practice.
• Always wear a face mask over your nose and mouth, especially if you must be around other people or animals. Please note that you don’t need to wear a face mask if you live by yourself.
• Try to stay at least 6 feet away from other people, even in your home.
• Always cover your coughs and sneezes, wash your hands often, and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
• Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people in your home. Wash all of these items thoroughly after use.
• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your “sick room” and bathroom every day with household cleaners and disinfectants, using as directed on the label. Also, ask someone else to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in other areas of your home. 
• Make sure to get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, take over-the-counter medicine to help with any pain and/or to help reduce one’s fever, as well as take vitamins* to help boost your immune system. *Please always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting any vitamins or supplements. They may interact with your prescriptions and cause you harm.
• Monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if they are worsening (for example, if you have difficulty breathing). Please call your doctor or emergency department before going.
  

If you develop any of the following emergency warning signs for COVID-19, please get medical attention immediately and call 911. Emergency warning signs include* the following:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion 
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider; or better yet, call 911 for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

When can you come out of self-isolation?

If you have symptoms, whether you have or have not been tested, stay home until:

• At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first began AND
• At least 24 hours have passed since there has been no fever without use of fever-reducing medication AND
• There has been improvement in other symptoms.
• If you are severely immunocompromised, consult with your healthcare provider to determine if a longer timeframe may be recommended.
   

If you have no symptoms and lab-confirmed COVID-19, stay home until:

As cases continue to rise rapidly, please do your best to take every precaution. We all have a personal responsibility in decreasing the spread of COVID-19 for our own health, the health of our friends and family, and the health of our community. Continue to practice the 3W’s – Wait six feet apart, Wear a Face Mask, and Wash your hands.

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Contact:
Amy Smith
704-216-8859
amy.smith@rowancountync.gov

Download Media Release COVID-19 - December 15, 2020 (PDF)