News

About Coronavirus (COVID-19) 
Adapted from “COVID-19 Information By and For People with Disabilities” by Green Mountain Self-Advocates

There is a lot of information about COVID-19 that tells me what I should and should not do.  It can be really hard to understand. Here is some information that can help me and my family understand what is going on. This information is to help me know about the virus and what I need to do to stay healthy.

What is Coronavirus, also called COVID-19?

• It is a new virus making people sick around the world
• Some people call it coronavirus and some call it COVID-19, they are the same thing

How can I get COVID 19?

• Someone who has the virus can give it to me if
• They cough 
• They sneeze
• The virus germs get into me through my mouth, eyes, or nose

How I know if I might be sick with COVID-19:

• I have a temperature over 100.4
• It is hard to breathe (when I take a deep breath and hold it as long as I can, if I start to cough or cannot hold my breath, I should call my doctor)
• A dry cough - I do not cough up any mucus (snot)

If I have these things, what should I do?

• Tell somebody in my house or someone who helps me if I don’t feel well
• If you are scared, talk to someone that you trust  
• These things do not mean I have COVID-19, it could be a cold or the flu and I should call my doctor, or local health department - do not go to their office
• Use tissues, throw them in the trash - then wash my hands
• Avoid being around other people
• Clean off things that I touch, like phones, computers, furniture, desks and tables. If I get really sick I might have to go to the hospital but the doctors and nurses are just trying to make me feel better
• It may take a long time to see a doctor because a lot of people are sick or worried about getting sick 

If I get worse or I have trouble breathing, I should call my doctor again 

My doctor might ask me these questions:

• If I have been close to someone who has traveled outside of the United States to another country 
• If I have been close to someone who has symptoms of COVID-19

How can I stay healthy?

• Wash my hands with soap and water for 20 seconds (I can sing the happy birthday song slowly, that is about 20 seconds)
• Use hand sanitizer
• Do not touch my face before I wash my hands
• Wash my hands after I go to the bathroom and after I come home from being out of the house
• Cough or sneeze
• Cough or sneeze into my elbow
• If I cough or sneeze in my hand, I will wash my hands 
• Do not rub my eyes, nose or mouth
• Social distancing means:
• Stay 6 feet away from another person in public
• Stay at home unless absolutely necessary
• Stay away from a group of more than 10 people

What to do if I am around someone who has COVID-19?

• If my support staff is sick, they should stay home and I need to talk to someone to find support staff to help me
• Stay 6 feet away from the sick person
• Do not touch surfaces or food that the sick person has touched
• Clean the area that people have touched

Tell somebody who I live with or my case manager that I have been around someone who is sick

More ideas I can do to stay healthy:

• Do not get in groups of people more than 10
• Try to stay away from public transportation that have lots of people on them like buses and the metro 
• Try to limit going to the store - ask someone to bring me groceries and medications
• Do not share food or drinks
• Drink plenty of water
• Get plenty of sleep a night (8 hours)
• Remember to move around and exercise. It’s okay to be outside if you stay away from others 
• There is not a shot or medicine to keep me from getting COVID-19, so I have to do these things to stay healthy

What if I, my family or my friends get scared?

• Talk to someone who I can trust like:
• Support staff
• Friends or family
• Church
• Make sure I have my doctor’s phone number written down and also give it to someone who helps me

Other things that I can do:

• If I am on Medicaid I could call my Care Coordinator to see how I can get other help to get groceries or medicine
• I can call grocery stores or pharmacies to see if they deliver (Kroger, Aldi, CVS, Walgreens, Publix, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Amazon) 
• Think of a project or activity that you can do at home 
• When you are getting overwhelmed when you are watching the news, turn it off, and come back to it later 

Resources

Centers for Disease Control - Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Virginia Department of Health - COVID-19 in Virginia

Center for Disability Leadership

Center for Family Involvement

disAbility Law Center of Virginia

Virginia Board for People with Disabilities