What is the coronavirus disease 2019?
COVID-19 (previously known as 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV), is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
It is part of a larger family of viruses called coronavirus, some of which are in circulation normally and can cause illnesses like the common cold. See the “About the Virus” section of this FAQ for more about this family of viruses. You can learn more about coronavirus disease 2019 at the CDC website.
How does the virus spread?
The virus is thought to spread person-to-person via respiratory droplets that are produced when someone infected with the virus coughs or sneezes. This can occur from direct contact with the droplets or from fomite transmission.
Can someone spread the virus without being sick?
People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest). Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
How long can the virus that causes COVID-19 survive on surfaces?
A
recent study found that SARS-CoV-2 virus can survive on surfaces for variable periods of time, depending on the type of surface. The survival time on surfaces ranged from four hours (copper) to three days (plastic and stainless steel).
To kill the virus on surfaces, use a disinfectant that has been shown to be effective against SARS-CoV-2. A list of approved disinfectants against SARS-CoV-2 can be found on the
EPA website. Be sure to clean frequently touched surfaces and objects often, such as counters, tabletops, door knobs, bathroom fixtures, phones, and bedside tables.
Has anyone in the United States been infected?
Yes. Monitoring and testing are ongoing across the United States. A current case count table is available on the CDC website.
Where can I find the latest COVID-19 case count for Arizona?
For number of positive cases in Arizona, please visit the
Arizona Department of Health Services website. The number of cases is updated every day at 9 a.m.
Where can I find the latest COVID-19 case count for Pima County?
For number of positive cases in Pima County, please visit the our
COVID-19 webpage. This information is updated daily.
Is it true that NSAIDs like ibuprofen have been known to worsen COVID-19 symptoms?
According to the FDA, there is currently no scientific evidence connecting the use of NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, with worsening COVID-19 symptoms. The FDA is investigating this issue further and will communicate publicly when more information is available. For more info from the FDA on the subject, visit:
FDA advises patients on use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for COVID-19.
What is the goal of this new guidance?
Wearing a cloth face cover may prevent people who have COVID-19 and don’t know it from spreading it to others.
Cloth face coverings are NOT a reliable way to keep you from becoming infected if you are exposed. The best tools to protect yourself remain the same:
- maintain physical distance from others by staying home as much as possible
- washing or sanitizing your hands often
- not touching your face
- cleaning “high-touch” surfaces often
Why is this guidance coming out now?
As we learn more about the virus that causes COVID-19, it appears that some people who are sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness without having symptoms. This means that they could spread the illness to others without knowing it. If someone who has COVID-19 and does not know it wears a cloth face covering, it may prevent them from spreading the virus when they cough, breath, or talk.
Should I use the masks we see healthcare workers using?
No. the equipment being used by healthcare workers should be reserved for them to use in hospitals and other healthcare settings. If the general public is buying and taking up these resources, the healthcare workers who really need it will continue experiencing shortages.
If you have surgical masks, N95 respirators, medical gloves or gowns and want to donate them to healthcare workers, visit
pima.gov/covid19 and click on the “Volunteer and Donate” button.
When should I use a cloth face covering?
People do not need to wear face covers when alone, at home, or when outside way from other people. It may be good to wear a cloth face cover when you are in places where it is difficult to keep physical distance (at least 6 FT) from others. These might be when you have to go into a grocery store, work place, childcare center, or other place where contact closer than 6 FT with others cannot be avoided.
How should I put on my face cover?
- Be sure to wash your hands very well BEFORE putting on a face covering.
- As much as possible, do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth while placing the cover on.
- Place the loop or ties around your ears snugly.
- Ensure the edges of your covering to lay as close to your skin as possible all the way around.
- Once secured, make sure the cover goes over your nose and under your mouth. You want both to be completely covered.
How do I correctly wear a cloth face covering?
- Make sure your cover fits snugly and does not move around BEFORE you enter a public space.
- Do not touch your face or covering while in public. Remember, keeping your hands away from your face is a very important way to protect yourself from getting sick.
- Covers become much less effective if they become damp. Do not wet your cover.
- If your cover becomes damp (moisture from your breath can cause the fabric to become damp), replace it.
- Do not wear your cover for long periods of time. If you cannot avoid being in public spaces for long periods of time, consider having multiple covers you can switch out.
What's the best method of removing my cloth face cover?
- Carefully remove the loops or ties, being sure not to touch your face.
- Hold the cover from the loop or tie and place it either directly into the laundry or a container or bag that you can use to put it in the laundry without touching it.
- Wash your face cover in the washer before using it again.
- Be sure to wash your hands after removing your face cover.
Testing
Should I be tested for COVID-19?
Call your healthcare professional if you feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, or if you live in or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19.
Your healthcare provider will determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
What is the delay with testing?
Testing remains in short supply, not because the labs aren't increasing their capacity, because there's a shortage of testing swabs and transport media for healthcare providers to ship tests to the lab. We're doing what we can to obtain supplies.
When will the testing criteria be expanded so that more people in Pima County can get tested?
Until we get more supplies, we will continue to adhere to the same testing criteria as before, see Testing Questions tab.
What’s the availability of COVID test kits in Pima County and how many people are you testing each day?
The County does not conduct COVID-19 testing, nor does it maintain a total number of tests submitted by commercial labs. Our role is to help healthcare providers who want to submit a test to the state laboratory for testing. Right now, most people who are mildly ill do not need to be tested. You can get more information about who should get tested on the “Testing Questions” tab on
pima.gov/covid19
Info About Confirmed Cases
Has COVID-19 reached community-wide spread in Pima County?
In a press conference on March 15, Dr. Bob England said he thinks the entire country is going to have community-wide spread pretty soon. Locally, in Pima County, it's best to assume community-spread is happening and take the necessary steps to protect yourself.
What level of information can we disclose regarding positive cases in Pima County?
For all positive cases of COVID-19, we are disclosing the age range of the person and their recovering status, meaning if they are recovering in or out a hospital. Where someone lives, works, got infected, and traveled are all very different. Trying to memorialize “where” the risk was is very difficult and could actually end up misleading. We recognize that people are concerned about areas where they should be cautious. With a virus as contagious as this is proving to be, we recommend that people take precautions everywhere they go. The current lack of testing is leading us to not have enough information about cases in our community, and so, the best thing people can do is practice those prevention and social distancing recommendations they are hearing so much about.
What is the definition of a recovered patient?
Someone who has been released from care and considered a “recovered patient” means the person is no longer sick, has no complications from the illness and is no longer considered contagious.
What is the estimated wait period before someone is considered no longer contagious?
The recommendation is 72 hours symptom-free.
Businesses
Can Pima County force other non-social gathering businesses to close?
Rules and regulations have changed quickly at the state, county, and city levels. Any orders issued by Governor Ducey may require local jurisdictions to change their directives. The only businesses or gatherings that can be “forced” to close are those identified by states, counties, and cities.
The state and county strongly urge employers to implement and practice prevention such as physical distancing, increased and repeated cleaning and sanitizing of workspaces, close monitoring of employees for illness and sending sick employees’ home, modification of leave policies and increase used of telecommuting if possible or appropriate. We rely on employers to make good decisions for the safety of their workforce and the public.
Are daycares still open?
Yes, day facilities remain open. As long as parents are working, we want families to have access to a safe place for their children to receive care. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) have provided guidance for child care centers to ensure they are able to provide a safe environment. These guidelines include increased sanitation, social distancing, avoiding mixing child care groups, and limiting rooms to 10 individuals when feasible. The full recommendations can be found here:
Are adult care facilities still open?
Yes, at this time there is no directive at this time to close this type of center. Adult day centers are being instructed to practice the same prevention measures as the general community and other facilities by practicing social distancing as much as possible, screening participants for symptoms, practicing good hygiene and cleaning and disinfecting.
Are workers in the human and animal food and feed sector considered part of the essential critical infrastructure workforce?
Yes, in a guidance issued by Department of Homeland Security on March 19 Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19, workers in the Food and Agriculture sector – agricultural production, food processing, distribution, retail and food service and allied industries – are named as essential critical infrastructure workers. Promoting the ability of our workers within the food and agriculture industry to continue to work during periods of community restrictions, social distances, and closure orders, among others, is crucial to community continuity and community resilience.
Where should the food industry go for guidance about business operations?
Food facilities, like other work establishments, need to follow protocols set by local and state health departments, which may vary depending on the amount of community spread of COVID-19 in a particular area. We encourage coordination with local health officials for all businesses so that timely and accurate information can guide appropriate responses in each location where they have operations.
Food Supply & Safety
Is the U.S. food supply safe?
Currently there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19.
Unlike foodborne gastrointestinal (GI) viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is a virus that causes respiratory illness. Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. This includes between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet), and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. However, it’s always critical to follow the 4 key steps of food safety—clean, separate, cook, and chill – to prevent foodborne illness.
Will there be food shortages?
There are no nationwide shortages of food, although in some cases the inventory of certain foods at your grocery store might be temporarily low before stores can restock. Food production and manufacturing are widely dispersed throughout the United States and no widespread disruptions have been reported in the supply chain.
FDA is closely monitoring the food supply chain for any shortages in collaboration with industry and our federal and state partners. We are in regular contact with food manufacturers and grocery stores.
Where should I send questions if we are having problems moving food or getting food through areas that have curfews and restrictions because of the coronavirus?
If you are experiencing issues regarding your supply chain, delivery of goods, or business continuity, please contact the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center at
NBEOC@fema.dhs.gov. This is a 24/7 operation and they can assist in directing your inquiry to the proper contact.
A worker in my food processing facility/farm has tested positive for COVID-19. What steps do I need to take to ensure that the foods I produce are safe?
Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread from person-to-person through respiratory droplets. Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 by food. Unlike foodborne gastrointestinal (GI) viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is a virus that causes respiratory illness. Foodborne exposure to this virus is not known to be a route of transmission.
If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality. Sick employees should follow the CDC’s What to do if you are sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Employers should consult with the local health department for additional guidance.
While the primary responsibility in this instance is to take appropriate actions to protect other workers and people who might have come in contact with the ill employee, facilities should re-double their cleaning and sanitation efforts to control any risks that might be associated with workers who are ill regardless of the type of virus or bacteria. For example, facilities are required to maintain clean and sanitized facilities and food contact surfaces.
See:
FSMA Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food.
Food facilities are required to use EPA-registered “sanitizer” products in their cleaning and sanitizing practices.
In addition, there is a list of EPA-registered “disinfectant” products for COVID-19 on the Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 list that have qualified under EPA’s emerging viral pathogen program for use against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
In addition, there is a list of EPA-registered “disinfectant” products for COVID-19 on the Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 list that have qualified under EPA’s emerging viral pathogen program for use against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
IMPORTANT: Check the product label guidelines for if and where these disinfectant products are safe and recommended for use in food manufacturing areas or food establishments.
Do I need to recall food products produced in the facility during the time that the worker was potentially shedding virus while working?
We do not anticipate that food products would need to be recalled or be withdrawn from the market because of COVID-19, as there is currently no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 associated with food or food packaging.
Additionally, facilities are required to control any risks that might be associated with workers who are ill regardless of the type of virus or bacteria.
What other resources are available regarding food safety?
Volunteer and Donation Info
What can I do to help my community during the COVID-19 outbreak?
If you are a healthcare provider with an active license, a public health professional, member of a medical disaster response team, or non-health community volunteer willing to be on-call to support Arizona in the event of a disaster, you can help support public health emergency preparedness. Find more info and a registration link at
https://esar-vhp.health.azdhs.gov/.
Additionally, the American Red Cross has reported a shortage in blood donations. So, if you’re in a position to give blood, you might consider donating as another option. To schedule an appointment, visit
http://rcblood.org/appt
Lastly, follow the social distancing recommendations. Health professionals agree that the COVID-19 outbreak is going to take several months to resolve, which means it’s up to us to protect our community.
I would like to organize a food/supply collection site ¬to help our community. Is it OK to do so?
Instead of creating additional gathering places, which can lead to gatherings of more than 10 people, we recommend you volunteer your time or donate supplies ongoing efforts such as the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.