You’ve probably heard this talked about a lot in the past weeks. Take a look at the image - The tall, skinny curve is not good – it means that a lot of people will get sick at once in a short period of time because we don’t take enough steps to prevent the virus from spreading from person to person.

Most people won’t get sick enough to need a hospital. But those who do could overwhelm the number of beds and care teams that our nation’s hospitals have available

Flattening it as a TEAM helps ALL individuals

If our communities take steps to slow the virus’s spread, that means the number of cases of COVID-19 will extend out across a longer period of time. As the curve shows, the number of cases at any given time doesn’t cross the dotted line of the capacity of our nation’s health care system to help everyone who’s very sick.

At the end of the of the day…

Actions taken by your local communities and businesses to cancel events, close offices and limit hours of operations will assist in these important efforts.

Take everyday preventive actions:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds,
• Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places 
• Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.
• Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
• Clean and disinfect 
• Avoid crowds, 
• Avoid all non-essential travel 

Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all-inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning. More information can be found on cdc.gov

Early information out of China, where COVID-19 first started, shows that some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness. This includes:

Older adults

People who have serious chronic medical conditions like:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Lung disease

Found out more at cdc.gov

If COVID-19 is spreading in your community

• Stay home as much as possible.
• Consider ways of getting food brought to your house through family, social, or commercial networks

If a COVID-19 outbreak happens in your community, it could last for a long time. (An outbreak is when a large number of people suddenly get sick.) Depending on how severe the outbreak is, public health officials may recommend community actions to reduce people’s risk of being exposed to COVID-19. These actions can slow the spread and reduce the impact of the disease.

Find out more at cdc.gov

The CDC has built a lot of resources to arm everyday people with information to stay safe and healthy. 

However, when it comes to planning for your business or nonprofit there is no one size fits all guide to help you through this pandemic. This is where Optimum Consulting can help! Contact us today to strategize for today, tomorrow, and the future to come.