COVID-19 Information

Note: This post was published on February 25, 2020. As of September 3, 2020, there are 18,607 confirmed cases in Sacramento County. Please visit Sacramento County’s website for more information.

Note: Post written on February 25, 2020.

You’ve probably been hearing about the coronavirus (COVID-2019) outbreak in China.  This coronavirus is similar to the one that caused SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2012.  People are wondering how dangerous this virus is and how far it will spread.  The outbreak is a little more than a month old at this point, so a lot is still unknown.

People who get sick with the coronavirus have symptoms similar to a cold – cough, runny nose, and possibly fever.  Some cases can be very mild.  Some people can get pneumonia or even die from the coronavirus.

The California Department of Public Health will soon begin testing people for the coronavirus at 16 laboratories across the state, including one in Richmond.

The Health Department says coronavirus testing through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention takes between two and seven days.

The best thing for you, our patients, is to wash hands or use hand sanitizer, and often.  Wash your hands before eating, and before touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.  If you have a cough, cover your mouth with your sleeve.

Since the flu is much more common than coronavirus, and is still around, we encourage our Elica patients to get the flu shot. Stay healthy and stay informed.

For the most current information, go to the CDC’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html