TRUSTED SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON CORONAVIRUS UPDATES:
Center for Disease Control
Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
State Of Michigan
Website: http://michigan.gov/Coronavirus
Kent County Health Department
Website: Kent County Health Department Facebook: Kent County Health Department-Facebook
John Hopkins University
Website: https://hub.jhu.edu/novel-coronavirus-information/
Please avoid spreading information that does not have a trusted source, misinformation can hurt more than it can help.
To avoid scams be careful about donating to fundraisers at this time. Please follow these safety tips from the Federal Trade Commission when considering donating to an entity: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0074-giving-charity
A note on Scams from GRPD:
“As one can imagine with a crisis, there are going to be individuals who take advantage. Scam artists are beginning to come out of the woodwork, representing themselves as the Red Cross, Police Foundations, the Federal Government or even a family member in need of assistance. Please be on-guard and do not trust anyone, until otherwise verified. Practical tips:
1) Do not say yes…immediately. We want people to help and to give during a crisis, but do your homework first. Wait until you can verify information and ensure the organization you are giving to is reputable.
2) Do not believe the phone number or email address information that you are seeing. It may be spoofed or be close to a legitimate organization (i.e. redcross.org – legitimate; redcross.com – not legitimate)
3) Scammers make a lot of vague and sentimental claims but give no specifics about how your donation will be used. Give with your heart and your head.
4) Never, I mean never give out bank or credit card information unless you are 100% sure you know who you are dealing with. If you want to be charitable be proactive, meaning make contact yourself and ask how you can give. In that case, you are almost assured the organization you are dealing with is reputable.
5) Consider how you give. Sometimes an old-fashioned personal check works best.”
HOW TO AVOID THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS:
Staying home is the best way we can take care of ourselves and our community. Anyone who has illness accompanied by fever—regardless of their travels—is asked to refrain from going to any communal area where they could spread illness to others. A person should have a normal temperature for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before resuming a regular schedule.
It is especially important we all take seriously the advice of public health experts for maximizing our own health and the health of others:
Social-distancing (staying home except for necessities)
Wash your hands frequently
wearing a mask when in public
Cough/sneeze into your elbow
Get this season’s flu shot if you haven’t already
minimize trips to stores- send one person to do shopping (healthiest person)
Public health experts encourage social distancing, a practice designed to keep sick individuals from coming in contact with healthy ones in order to limit opportunities for transmission. Avoid large gatherings and crowds, and maintaining a distance of approximately six feet from others. This is not the time to go visit your friends at their home.
If you are sick, please stay home. If you are not sick, you could be carrying the virus with no symptoms— this is when you can protect those vulnerable community members by also staying home.
This prevention information is available at the CDC website here: CDC Workplace, School and Home Guidance
Michigan Department of Health & Human Services - COVID-19 General Fact Sheet-English, COVID-19 General Fact Sheet-Spanish
It should be noted the life of the virus is between 4 to 72 hours on surfaces it is on. Please check the EPA website for approved cleaners:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-03/documents/sars-cov-2-list_03-03-2020.pdf
The Washington Post created a helpful visual about the spread: Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially and how to "flatten the curve"
IF YOU HAVE HEALTH-RELATED CONCERNS ABOUT COVID-19:
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has launched a statewide hotline to respond to health-related questions about COVID-19. The hotline will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 888.535.6136
Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids is offering free telescreenings for coronavirus for anyone in the state. Anyone in Michigan who has symptoms can call the Spectrum Health COVID-19 hotline at 616.391.2380 to schedule a screening and get instructions on how to download the Spectrum Health Now app.
Drive-Up Testing
Make an appointment for testing. Individuals must first schedule a free COVID-19 screening with Spectrum Health, by calling 616-391-2380.The location is 1300 Michigan St. in Grand Rapids and is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the next two weeks.
Spectrum Health said this is what to expect following a test:
Specimens are sent to the state lab for testing
Results should come in three days
Spectrum Health will contact people with results