What is Covid-19 Coronavirus?

Coronavirus is a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, which has spread internationally and to the United States. Patients are known to experience mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Important points to understand:

• There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).‍
• The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.‍
• The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, generally between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet), through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

COVID testing is currently available for all Oakland County residents. Testing allows our Health Division to monitor the virus in our community and keep us safe and open. Testing is available for all residents age 18 and older with or without symptoms. For more information about COVID testing in Oakland County, please visit this link.

Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests. A viral test tells you if you have a current infection, while an antibody test tells you if you had a previous infection. Please note, an antibody test may not be able to show if you have a current infection, because it can take 1-3 weeks after an infection to produce antibodies. It is unknown at this time if having antibodies for the virus grants protection from future infection.

General guidelines for COVID-19 prevention include: continually practice social distancing, maintain an appropriate distance of six feet between people outside your home, wear a face covering when in public, and wash your hands regularly for twenty seconds, among other general hygiene practices.

Face coverings may slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings can be made from household items. For more information on face coverings, please click here.