Pandemic lifelines

Symptoms of COVID-19

Many patients with confirmed COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and/or shortness of breath.

Some patients have had other symptoms including muscle aches, headache, sore throat, diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell.

These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

Community Memorial Hospital and the CMH Raiter Clinic are asking people who think they should be tested to call the Nurse Hotline at 218-499-6799. A nurse will help decide whether or not someone should be tested, and arrange a time to come to the ambulance entrance to the emergency room at CMH, to avoid making any other patients sick. Leave a message if needed on this 24-hour hotline.

Other healthcare hotlines include Essentia Health at 1-833-494-0836 and St. Luke’s at 218-249-4200.

The Minnesota Department of Health has set up a COVID-19 public hotline open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.at 800-657-3903.

If you have symptoms of a respiratory disease (these include fever, coughing, muscle aches, sore throat, and headache), you should stay home for at least 7 days, and for 3 days with no fever and improvement of respiratory symptoms—whichever is longer. (Your fever should be gone for 3 days without using fever-reducing medicine.)

For example, if you have a fever and coughing for 4 days, you need to stay home 3 more days with no fever for a total of 7 days. Or, if you have a fever and coughing for 5 days, you need to stay home 3 more days with no fever for a total of 8 days.

Reduce spread

Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or sleeve, or a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands afterwards.

Washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom or before eating. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Stay home if you have cold- or flu-like symptoms, for seven days after your illness onset or three days after your fever resolves without fever reducing medicine, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Wear a cloth face covering (mask) in public settings. Wearing a mask does not protect you from others who may spread the virus. So, whether or not you wear a mask, you still need to wash your hands frequently, cover your cough, and practice social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet of space between people.

Domestic abuse help

• A statewide crisis hotline called Day One helps people suffering from domestic abuse at home: Call 866-223-1111 or text 612-399-9995.

• The American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) Dabinoo’igan Emergency Domestic Violence Shelter at 218-722-2247.

• The Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse (CASDA) in Superior at 715-392-3136.

• Safe Haven Shelter & Resource Center in Duluth at 218-728-6481.

• Family Pathways, otherwise known as Refuge Network, at crisis line 800-338-7233.

• The Fond du Lac social services advocacy program crisis line, 218-348-1817, is answered 24 hours a day, and staff can assist with reporting a crime to law enforcement, providing orders for protection and harassment orders, obtaining available community resources, and providing support.