What to Do When Exposed to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

With the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic spreading quickly across the United States, it’s important to know what steps to take if you believe your home or business has been exposed. We realize that nobody wants to worry about the virus affecting their loved ones, but taking proper precautions will help you make the right decisions during critical moments. After all, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. 

Why is Coronavirus Dangerous?

COVID-19 is a novel virus (meaning it’s never been seen before) and a particularly insidious one at that. Not only can it survive on some surfaces for up to 17 days, people infected by it don’t show symptoms until two weeks after infection, making it particularly difficult to track and contain. This means people can be infected and spread the virus without even knowing it until much later after the fact.

Important Information About Coronavirus

• It could take anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks for infected people to show symptoms. Elderly people will generally show signs earlier, but some people will seem healthy or show a slight fever for up to the first five days.
• The virus can be found on some surfaces for up to 17 days after initial contact.
• On top of a fever, the main symptoms include a dry cough and shortness of breath. Infected people may also experience fatigue, muscle pain, and in some instances nausea and/or diarrhea.
• Do NOT go to work, school or any public areas if you believe you have coronavirus. This also includes ridesharing and public transit.
• Avoid travel in general, but especially to places of high infection rates.

What to Do if You Think You Have Coronavirus

Call a Doctor

If you believe you have coronavirus, start by calling your doctor. They’ll be able to talk to you about symptoms and if what you’re experiencing could be the flu or other respiratory disease. Do NOT go to a doctor’s office or hospital without calling first. Even if you’re positive it’s not the flu, calling your doctor will allow them to prepare for your arrival, keeping elderly and other patients safe. They’ll also be able to tell you the best time and route to take.

Be sure to wear a mask when going to the doctor, and try to stay as isolated as possible to reduce spreading the virus. 

Isolate Yourself

Keep your friends, family and pets safe by imposing self-quarantine:

• Don’t share a bed with your spouse or pet. When you’re using areas of the house, try to stay isolated. If you can use one bathroom and keep your family in another, that would be preferred. 
• Have your pets watched by another non-infected person. If this isn’t possible, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before and after touching your pets. More information on proper hand washing here.
• Disinfect all belongings and surfaces, including door knobs and faucets, at least 1-2 times per day. Use an industrial-strength disinfectant with a broad spectrum kill claim. More information on disinfecting your house below.
• Do NOT leave the house. If you need supplies, have a delivery service, family or friends bring these to you. Going into public, even with a face mask, is a significant risk that doesn’t need to be taken.

Properly Disinfect your House

There are a number of actions to take to properly clean and disinfect your house to protect from coronavirus:

• Use CDC-recommended and EPA-registered disinfectants. Use the disinfectant in all areas that someone infected may have come in contact with, including the rooms they were in and surfaces they’ve touched. COVID-19 spreads through the air, so a simple cough can get on EVERYTHING in a room.
• Make sure all infected materials are cleaned, disinfected, and properly disposed of as biohazard waste. If you want to make sure the material that has been infected is truly safe, disposing of the material as a biohazard waste is the safest move for your home, the environment, and people who may come in contact with the infected material. 
• If you don’t have coronavirus and are cleaning infected surfaces, ensure encapsulated personal protective equipment (PPE) and full-face respirator masks are worn at all times. 

Aftermath Services adheres to each of these best practices in addition to stringent coronavirus demobilization processes for our equipment, trucks and waste storage areas.

Importance of Properly Disinfecting Your Business After the Coronavirus

It is critical  to have COVID-19 cleanup done by a company with the proper permitting, training, and experience otherwise you could face potentially catastrophic issues.

Aftermath is the #1 biohazard and infectious disease remediation company in the US. We adhere to all OSHA regulations, are certified by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration Certification) and strictly follow the most state-of-the-art procedures when it comes to disease cleanup and disinfection. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is novel, so we continually consult with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) for up-to-date solutions and utilize CDC-recommended and EPA-registered disinfectants.

For more information about our coronavirus disinfection services, visit our website or call 877-769-6917.