If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, follow public health recommendations for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community.
As with any respiratory virus, you can protect yourself and others by taking every day preventative actions.
There are many ways your actions can help protect you, your household, and your community from severe illness from COVID-19. CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels provide information about the amount of severe illness in the community where you are located to help you decide when to take action to protect yourself and others.
In addition to basic health and hygiene practices, like handwashing, CDC recommends some prevention actions at all COVID-19 Community Levels, which include:
If you were exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 or have been told by a healthcare provider or public health authority that you were exposed, there are steps that you should take, regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection.
This information is intended for a general audience. Healthcare professionals should see Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19. This CDC guidance is meant to supplement—not replace—any federal, state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations.
If you have COVID-19, you can spread the virus to others. There are precautions you can take to prevent spreading it to others: isolation, masking, and avoiding contact with people who are at high risk of getting very sick. Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-19.
These recommendations do not change based on COVID-19 Community Levels. If you have COVID-19, also see additional information on treatments that may be available to you.
Masking is a critical public health tool and it is important to remember that any mask is better than no mask. Wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently. Wearing a well-fitted mask along with vaccination, self-testing, and physical distancing, helps protect you and others by reducing the chance of spreading COVID-19.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.
Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
*This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.
Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis. Flu and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two. While more is learned every day, there is still a lot that is unknown about COVID-19 and the virus that causes it. This table compares COVID-19 and flu, given the best available information to date. View more on our seasonal influenza page.
Separate yourself from others if you have COVID-19 or think you may have been exposed.
Quarantine keeps someone who might have been exposed to the virus away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department.
Isolation is used to separate people infected with a virus or disease away from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. In the home, anyone sick or infected should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom (if available).
If you were exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 or have been told by a healthcare provider or public health authority that you were exposed, there are steps that you should take, regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection.
This information is intended for a general audience. Healthcare professionals should see Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19. This CDC guidance is meant to supplement—not replace—any federal, state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations.
If you have COVID-19, you can spread the virus to others. There are precautions you can take to prevent spreading it to others: isolation, masking, and avoiding contact with people who are at high risk of getting very sick. Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-19.
These recommendations do not change based on COVID-19 Community Levels. If you have COVID-19, also see additional information on treatments that may be available to you.
End isolation based on how serious your COVID-19 symptoms were. Looking for the CDC Quarantine and Isolation Calculator? It’s currently being updated as of August 12, 2022.
This portal is for the use of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 (case) and people who have been named as contacts to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 (contact).
Through the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing program, residents with cell phones can receive their test results through a text message and complete their own investigation through an automated process. Public health workers will still be available to answer any questions and help with reported outbreaks.
Please register to complete any surveys you have received texts about, add contacts to a current case of COVID-19, and/or to get letters needed for work/school. Surveys and letters are available within the portal for all authorized cases and contacts using your phone number.
The following materials are developed to support COVID-19 recommendations. All materials are free for download for print or digital.
If you are a resident or a non-profit organization looking to support the regional response to COVID-19, here’s how you can help.
Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (OKMRC) is looking for volunteers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The OKMRC is a volunteer organization that helps out in times of disaster/emergencies and assist with various public health initiatives in non-disaster times. The favorable part about their program is that volunteers can be as involved as they like. Their organization understands that folks are busy, so one of their main goals is simply to pre-identify and pre-credential volunteers before a disaster occurs. To become a member, individuals must be 18 years or older and fill out our application and complete orientation; both required and can be completed at www.OKMRC.org. Once the orientation is complete, it will automatically cue a background check. The background check normally takes about two to four weeks to return. Once the background check comes back successfully, individuals will be eligible for an OKMRC ID badge and shirt. They will also begin receiving emails from their unit coordinator about upcoming trainings, events and deployments. The volunteer then simply selects which occurrence interests them.
Additionally, in order to be deployed, individuals will need to complete the required trainings:
All of these trainings are free to their volunteers. You do not have to be a medical professional to join. It takes at least four non-medical personnel to support every medical personnel. They have four specialty teams: Stress Response Team (mental health), State Animal Response Team, Nursing Team and a Choctaw Nation Team.
If you are a residents or a non-profit organization looking to support the regional response to COVID-19, visit Tulsa Area Regional United Way for updated information on how you can help.
Find resources in other languages such as Spanish, Zomi and Burmese.
CDC Resources/Materials:
Poster Printables for Food Establishments:
Spanish/English Toolkits
En español
Distanciamento Social vídeo
Zomi
Hmong
Burmese
مصادر باللغة العربية
한국어 자료
Tài nguyên tiếng việt
We have 10 locations across Tulsa County that offer a variety of services to help you and your family stay healthy.
