Medical FAQs
The City of Palo Alto answers the most frequently asked medical questions related to COVID-19.
What is the coronavirus and how does the virus spread?
Officially known as the coronavirus disease 2019 (or abbreviated as COVID-19), the new coronavirus is a previously unidentified disease that has not been seen in humans before. The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person. Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the disease to others. That is why the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on how sick they are) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.
Should I be worried that my children are at risk?
According to the CDC, there is no evidence that children are more susceptible to the new coronavirus. In fact, most confirmed cased of COVID-19 reported from China have occurred in adults. Infections in children have been reported though, including in very young children. Children should engage in usual preventive actions to avoid infection, including cleaning hands often using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoiding people who are sick, and staying up to date on vaccinations, including influenza vaccine.
The CDC has released guidance for families and individuals on how to plan, prepare, and respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019.
Is food or delivery packaging safe? Do they need to be wiped down before handling them?
According to current information from the FDA, there currently is no evidence of transmission through food or food packaging. As an extra precaution to help avoid the transmission of COVID-19 through surface contact, the CDC recommends frequent washing and sanitizing of all food contact surfaces and utensils.
According to the CDC, there is a very low risk of spread from products or packaging shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures.
For more go to the FDA’s website here. For CDC FAQs, go here.
Can animals or pets transmit COVID-19?
To date, CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19. At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread COVID-19. However, since animals can spread other diseases to people, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after having any contact with animals.
For more, go here.
Can I go to Stanford for testing?
Drive-through appointments for Stanford Medicine’s COVID-19 test are available to patients who have been referred by their primary care provider based on their symptoms and exposure. Read more about Stanford’s drive-through testing service. Your primary care provider will assess your symptoms and other criteria set by the CDC and your county public health department to determine if a test is appropriate. Stanford Medicine’s in-house test is available to those patients who are referred for testing based on their symptoms and exposure.
To receive a referral for drive-through testing at Stanford, please contact your primary medical provider for a referral or use the online Project Baseline portal for online screening and possible referral. Go here for more.
I work at a senior care facility, am I at risk of getting coronavirus and where can I gain more information about the symptoms and what to do?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers guidance for household members, intimate partners, and caregivers in a non-healthcare setting who have close contact with a person with symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 or a person under investigation should monitor their health. The CDC recommends caregivers call their healthcare provider right away if they develop COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath.
Go here to learn more.
Other FAQ Links
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