Maine CDC provides COVID-19 travel guidance

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AUGUSTA – The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is sharing current travel guidance in light of the evolving global response to 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Individuals with plans to travel abroad are advised to frequently check for advisory updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State. These federal agencies are monitoring the COVID-19 situation abroad and providing guidance to potential travelers.

U.S. CDC recommends that individuals who recently traveled to Italy, South Korea, or other regions where COVID-19 outbreaks are ongoing should monitor their own health. Quarantine, which is used to restrict the movement of well individuals who may have been exposed to communicable diseases to see if they become sick, is not currently recommended for travelers returning from these areas. Individuals without symptoms, which include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, may return to their regular activities.

If you recently traveled to a country with a COVID-19 outbreak and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing within 14 days after you left, you should:

  • Isolate at home for 14 days if the symptoms are mild.
  • Seek medical advice if the symptoms become more severe. Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
  • Avoid contact with others.
  • Avoid travel on public transportation.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
  • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to avoid spreading the virus to others.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 percent to 95 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Maine currently has no confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus. As Maine CDC previously reported, one individual in Maine who met federal requirements to be tested for the virus tested negative. The risk to the public remains low, and Maine CDC continues comprehensive planning to ensure Maine is ready should the virus affect people here. Governor Janet Mills has convened a Coronavirus Response Team, led by Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah, charged with coordinating State government’s response across departments and local agencies and health authorities to the potential spread of COVID-19.

Maine CDC remains committed to providing accurate, up-to-date information about the 2019 novel coronavirus to Maine people. Please visit the Maine CDC website at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus.

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2 Comments

  1. They realize that people who are asymptomatic during the virus’s incubation period are still contagious, right? That tidbit of information was discovered shortly after the Chinese government finally admitted they were in deep manure after a month of trying to combat the virus in secrecy.

    If they want to stem the spread you’d think they would suggest those who have come from the infected regions to quarantine themselves regardless of whether immediate symptoms are present or not. If they start to show symptoms, they could have had up to 14+ days of infecting other people. On top of that, it’s been found that the incubation period can last up to double the suggested quarantine period. This is information gleaned from simply following the news.

    The government is either inept in this situation or they want the love to spread, I can’t tell which. It’s flabbergasting to me that the governments of the world decided to bring their nationals back home from QUARATENE ZONES shut down due to a mostly unknown disease.

    Of course COVID-19 has been around on since December so it probably has been globetrotting for longer than people think. In most cases it sounds like its symptoms could easily be misidentified as the flu, or even a cold in milder cases.

    Anyway, that’s enough of my armchair doctor speculation. I’ll just sit back now like a good well-behaved civilian and watch as the experts continue to pretend that they know what they’re doing in this infectious disease situation.

    Cheers,
    Shamus

  2. Last century the label on a well known American made and distributed Disnfectant Concentrate label as effective to eliminate the coronavirus, etc. This century the label simply lists eliminates 99.9% of all viruses.

    Perhaps this suggests that health care is self care and begins at home. Teaching self respect, good hygiene and consideration for our fellow humans. Basic survival skills, like dressing properly for weather conditions, good nutrition, staying at home and away from public places when sick, etc.

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