Last update 7/6/20
How does COVID-19 spread and who is at risk?
Public health officials with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are
continuing to study the spread and effects of COVID-19 across the United
States. The CDC does not fully understand how it spreads but it seems
to infect people fairly easily for those in close contact with one another
(within about 6 feet). The virus is thought to be mainly spread through
droplets of fluid that a person coughs or sneezes into the air. It may
also be spread if you touch a surface with the virus on it, such as a
door knob, steering wheel, or a store key pad, and then touch your eyes,
nose or mouth.
People are thought to be most contagious when they have symptoms and are
sick. However, new studies show that a significant portion of individuals
with COVID-19 lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even
those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”)
can transmit the coronavirus to others before showing symptoms. This means
that the coronavirus can spread between people interacting in close proximity.
It is critical that you frequently keep your hands washed and maintain
at least 6 feet distance from other people when you go out in public places.
On May 14, the City of Los Angeles issued an order requiring all residents
to wear non-medical face coverings outside of their homes, except for
young children at risk for suffocation and people with certain disabilities,
to help stop the spread of the virus as stay-at-home restrictions are
gradually eased. This is in addition to the Worker Protection Order issued
on April 7 requiring workers in essential businesses to wear non-medical
face coverings. See more information below.
You are most at risk if you are over 60 years of age or have a compromised
immune system. You may also be at greater risk if you have medical conditions
such as diabetes, a heart or lung condition, or a chronic kidney condition.
Pregnant women may also be at greater risk.
Current cases in Los Angeles County, the United States, and the spread
by state is on our
COVID-19 Facts page, updated regularly.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)?
Some people who have been sick from COVID-19 have had only mild symptoms
while others have become severely ill. Symptoms usually appear gradually,
2 to 14 days after exposure. As of May 13, the CDC has revised its list
of symptoms. People with the following symptoms or combinations of symptoms
may have COVID-19:
Symptoms:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of smell and taste
- Congestion or runny nose
Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have mild illness.
This list is not all inclusive. Other less common symptoms have been reported,
including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Please consult with your doctor for any other symptoms that are severe
or concerning to you.
Severe Symptoms
If you have any of these emergency warning signs get medical attention
immediately:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
This list is not all possible symptoms. Please consult with your doctor
for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Call 911 if you are having a medical emergency.
What should I do if I think I'm sick with COVID-19?
If you have mild symptoms, there may be no need to see a doctor. If you
are feeling sick and think you might have COVID-19, contact your primary
care doctor by phone or email first before going in. Your doctor’s
office will decide the next steps for your care. If you are elderly, have
underlying health conditions or are pregnant may be at higher risk of
serious illness and should contact your doctor early if you are sick.
Call 911 if you are having a medical emergency. This information was obtained from the Los Angeles County Department of
Public Health (LACDPH).
In addition, to help prevent the spread to others, if you are mildly sick,
the CDC and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) have
issued guidelines on what to do. These were updated on May 8, which include
staying home (self-isolating) for at least 10 days and until 72 hours
after being fever and symptom free. Visit the
CDC website for more information. The LACDPH has provided downloadable PDFs with information about
staying home and
home isolation. Call your doctor if you are concerned and/or your symptoms worsen.
If you are coming to Valley Presbyterian Hospital's Emergency Department
or another entrance, and you have a fever, cough or problems breathing,
please call ahead beforehand or let our care team know immediately upon
arrival so that we can safely provide appropriate care. Please be advised
that as of March 20, Valley Presbyterian Hospital has a "No Visitor"
policy for accompanying patients to the Emergency Department, and for
visiting patients, with a few exceptions. More information is on our
COVID-19 portal page.
Can I get tested for the coronavirus at Valley Presbyterian Hospital?
The City of Los Angeles is providing free COVID-19 testing to all Los Angeles
County residents, whether or not you are experiencing symptoms. Priority
is given to people with symptoms. For more information visit the City
of Los Angeles
COVID-19 Testing page.
If you have come to Valley Presbyterian Hospital and have symptoms, we
will test you for the virus. Testing is done with a nose and throat swap
and a small sample taken of mucus coughed from your lungs. Please be advised
that as of March 20, Valley Presbyterian Hospital has a "No Visitor"
policy for accompanying patients to the Emergency Department, and for
visiting patients, with a few exceptions. More information is on our
COVID-19 portal page. More information about the treatment of COVID-19 is on our
Facts page.
Are the Los Angeles Safer at Home and Worker Protection Orders still in place?
Yes. The Los Angeles Safer at Home Order is still in effect but is slowly
being lifted. As of July 2, Los Angeles officials have continued the process
of Stage 2 and some Stage 3 reopenings of non-essential businesses with
social distancing and specific infection control protocols. These include
grocery stores; indoor and outdoor retail shopping centers at 50% capacity;
drive-in restaurants; restaurants with outdoor seating and pick-up; hair
salons/barbershops, nail salons, tanning salons, skin care and tatoo parlors
at 50% capacity; places of worship at 25% capacity; and libraries for
curbside pickup. It also includes hotels and short term rentals with safeguards.
Also open are office-based businesses when teleworking is not possible,
such as realtors. Outdoor parks, recreational, and workout facilities
are also open including gyms/fitness studios, golf courses, trails, parks,
day camps, and camping parks. Film/TV/music productions can resume. Non-medical
face coverings and social distancing are required.
As of June 28, due to a recent uptick in cases, the state and County have
ordered all bars, breweries, brew pubs, wineries and tasting rooms to
close. This includes closing bar areas in restaurants.
As of July 2, the following remain closed or have been ordered closed again:
indoor seating in restaurants; all public entertainment venues including
museums, galleries, zoos, aquariums, movie theaters, live performance
theaters, concert venues, theme parks, festivals, and racetracks; family
entertainment centers such as bowling alleys, arcades, miniature golf
and batting cages; indoor and outdoor playgrounds except those at school
or childcare centers; public hot tubs and saunas; beaches and beach parking
lots. All travel has been banned by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, car or
public transit unless the individual is engaged in an essential or recreational activity.
Additional information is in the latest
City of Los Angeles Public Order update and on the
LA County Roadmap to Recovery page.
Residents should continue to practice social distancing (staying 6 feet
away from people who don't live with you), wash hands frequently,
and wear a face covering when leaving your home. Non-medical face masks
and social distancing are required for all residents outside of their
homes, except for young children and people with certain disabilities.
This will help stop the spread of the virus as Safer at Home restrictions
are gradually eased. The Los Angeles Safer at Home Order is slowly being
lifted but residents are still ordered to not visit friends and family
without an urgent need, and to not visit patients in hospitals, nursing
homes and residential care facilities. Most people are also still ordered
to not go to their places of employment (certain jobs are exempt).
The Worker Protection order, put in place on April 7, is also still in
effect until further notice for non-medical essential workers, requiring
them to wear face coverings such as non-medical masks, scarves or bandanas.
See Mask Guidelines below. The order includes workers at grocery stores,
warehouse stores, farmers markets, restaurants with to-go food, plumbers,
electricians, day laborers, private security, gardeners, dry cleaners,
taxis, car rental companies, hotels, motels, organizations that provide
social services, and other businesses. In addition, employers must provide
these face coverings, allow employees to wash their hands at least every
30 minutes, and provide 6-foot buffers between employees and customers
to the extent possible. More information is in the
City of Los Angeles Worker Protection Order (PDF).
More information about the steps that Mayor Garcetti has taken for our
area is on the
City of Los Angeles coronavirus website.
What can I do to protect myself and my family from the COVID-19 coronavirus?
There are steps that everyone can take daily to reduce the risk of getting
sick or infecting others with these types of viruses. Please follow the
list of guidelines below. We also have helpful tips on our
Covid-19 Video page.
- Follow the Safer at Home Emergency Order in place for Los Angeles residents.
More information is above.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially
after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing,
sneezing or going to the bathroom. You should also wash your hands before eating.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
with at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet distance from others when you go out.
- As of May 14, all residents are required to wear a cloth face covering
your nose and mouth when outside of your home. Young children and people
with certain disabilties are exempt. This does NOT mean wearing a surgical
mask or N-95 respirator which are critical medical supplies needed by
healthcare workers. More information is below.
- Limit close contact like kissing and sharing cups or utensils, with people
who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces using regular household
disinfectant cleaning spray.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw away the tissue in
the trash. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve (not your hands).
- Help your immune system: Eat nutritional food, get 7 - 9 hours of sleep
each night, try to minimize and manage stress, exercise regularly, and
stop or cut back on smoking. If you have a health condition, discuss with
your doctor an exercise and nutritional plan that is right for you.
You can also take these additional steps:
-
Find a primary doctor if you don't already have one to be prepared,
in case you do get sick. Our
Find-A-Doctor portal has a list of physicians in our area, or you can use other sources
such as referrals from friends and family members.
- Mayor Garcetti has asked that residents not hoard food as it isn't
necessary but you should have essential food, water and supplies to last
a few weeks.
What are the guidelines for wearing masks?
On May 14, the City of Los Angeles issued a new order requiring all residents
to wear non-medical face coverings outside of their homes, except for
young children at risk for suffocation and people with certain disabilities.
This will help stop the spread of the virus as Safer At Home restrictions
are gradually eased. Read more on the
City of Los Angeles website.
This order is in addition to the Worker Protection Order that requires
non-medical essential workers to wear face coverings such as non-medical
masks, scarves or bandanas while at work. This does NOT mean wearing a
surgical mask or N-95 repirator which are critical medical supplies that
are needed by healthcare workers. The order also recommends that customers
wear face coverings when going out to grocery stores, pharmacies and other
essential businesses. More information is in the
City of Los Angeles Worker Protection Order (PDF).
Cloth face coverings can be non-medical masks, bandanas or scarves, or
made at home from t-shirts or pieces of cloth. Visit our
Video page for a CDC video that shows how to make your own mask. A downloadable PDF with
step-by-step instructions is also available on the CDC website. It is important that you wash your
hands before you put your mask on and immediately after you take it off.
If it is disposable, throw it away in a plastic lined trash can. If it
is washable, it is recommended that you wash it after removing it.
Is social distancing still needed?
Yes. Residents should continue to practice social distancing (staying 6
feet away from people who don't live with you), wash hands frequently,
and wear a face covering when leaving your home (see more information above).
The Los Angeles Safer at Home Order is slowly being lifted but residents
are still ordered to not visit friends and family without an urgent need,
and to not visit patients in hospitals, nursing homes and residential
care facilities. Most people are also still ordered to not go to their
places of employment (certain jobs are exempt).Additional information
is in the latest
City of Los Angeles Public Order update and on the
LA County Roadmap to Recovery page.
What is Valley Presbyterian Hospital doing to protect patients and visitors?
We are committed to the safety of our patients, visitors and staff. We
have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and have been in contact
with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as local and state
public health agencies. Our teams have put in place screenings at entry
points at the hospital including the Emergency Department, canceled all
classes and events through May 31. We have enstated fever screenings for
all staff and visitors, as well as new policies for patients and vistors.
As of March 20, we have restricted visitation to our hopsital. A "No
VIsitor" policy is in effect, with a few exceptions. Please visit our
Visiting Hours page for detailed information. In addition, we strongly encourage anyone visiting
the hospital to use hand sanitizing dispensers that are located on each
floor, and to keep their hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth.
Please check back to our
COVID-19 portal page for Valley Presbyterian Hospital information, updates and other resources.
You may also call our Hotline at 818.902.3999 for information about COVID-19.
Call 911 if you are having a medical emergency.
What should I do if I feel stressed out about COVID-19?
It is normal to feel anxious or show signs of stress even if the outbreak
hasn't affected you personally or you are at low risk of getting sick.
It is important to care for your own physical and mental health. For tips
on how you can cope, visit the
Covid-19 Mental Health Resources page from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. You can
also call their 24/7 Helpline at 800.854.7771 or call 2-1-1.
Sources on this page include: Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Los Angeles
County Department of Health (LACDPH), City of Los Angeles, and World Health
Organization (WHO). Visit our COVID-19
Resources page for more information.
Return to COVID-19 portal page