COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. Symptoms of COVID-19 may include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
- Runny nose
- Joint aches
Please visit the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit’s main COVID-19 webpage for up-to-date local information, case numbers and vaccination clinics.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. Symptoms of COVID-19 may include:
Where do I go for testing?
The Health Centre’s Clinical Assessment Centre is a medical clinic that can test, assess, and provide treatment for people with COVID-19 and other cold and flu-like illnesses.
Antigen testing: free rapid antigen tests through participating pharmacy and grocery locations for at-home use.
How can I protect myself?
Physical distancing is an important measure we must take to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This means: stay home. Do not go out unless you have to, such as to get groceries once per week.
If you must go out (e.g. for your weekly grocery haul), keep a six-foot distance from others. That’s about the maximum distance that droplets from a person’s cough or sneeze can travel, which is one of the ways the virus is spread.
If you are ill (even with mild symptoms) it is especially important that you stay home to prevent the risk of spreading your illness to others. Ask someone to purchase groceries for you, or use a delivery service.
Other ways that we can prevent the spread of COVID-19:
For vulnerable populations (people who are immunocompromised, seniors and pregnant women) should extra precautions be taken to protect myself from this illness?
The COVID-19 pandemic is a concerning time for our community, and in particular for those who are immunocompromised, elderly or pregnant. Researchers are still studying this novel coronavirus and how it affects people who are vulnerable.
NBRHC’s Infection Prevention and Control team has these reminders to help reduce your risk of catching this or other infectious illnesses:
How does COVID-19 spread?
Research shows that the COVID-19 virus is spread through close contact with an infected person.
This close contact can occur in two ways: droplet and contact.
Droplets means respiratory droplets produced by an infected person’s sneeze or cough. These can travel up to 6 feet (1.8 metres). A person becomes infected when droplets from a cough or sneeze directly enter the body through the eyes, mouth or nose.
Contact means touching a person or object directly, such as door handles, that have droplets on them from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. Unwashed hands contaminated with COVID-19 can introduce the virus to your body when you touch your eyes, mouth or nose.
Washing your hands often and avoiding touching your face are two very important ways to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
What exactly is a pandemic?
When we talk about a pandemic, we’re talking about a new virus spreading across the globe and across countries affecting a high proportion of the population. It’s important to remember that “pandemic” is not related to the severity of an illness, or the number of fatalities associated with an illness.
Resources
Trusted and reliable resources with the most up-to-date information about the virus: