Top 5 things to know about COVID-19

There’s so much to know about COVID-19, and the information is changing all the time! Here are the Top 5 most important things to know about this pandemic right now. How many can you slip into conversation this week? Help spread the facts on COVID-19!

1. Six feet away, buddy! As different areas in the state begin to move into new phases of the Safe Start program, we are beginning to have more and more public interaction. Physical distancing is still a really important part of preventing the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus is spread in respiratory droplets that can travel about six feet when you are coughing, sneezing, singing, or even talking. Stay six feet away from other people and out of range of the virus!
2. I care about you. Make sure your friends and family know you care about them and want them to be safe and healthy. Maintain these important relationships, but, remember — no peer pressure if someone is reluctant to come out for a barbeque or play date just yet. We all have different tolerance levels for risk. Besides, someone may have an underlying illness you don’t know about. It’s kind of rude to ask about underlying illnesses, so just support your friends in family in staying home if that’s what they need to take care of themselves.
3. This is how we open the economy. The quickest way to get our businesses open — and keep them open — is to control the virus. That looks like all of us wearing cloth face coverings around other people, staying six feet away from others, and washing our hands.
4. We know how to beat this. Testing and contact tracing are trusted tools that we have used for many decades to control disease. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your health care provider to get tested. If you have COVID-19, work with public health staff to find people you may have exposed so they can know how not to keep spreading the virus to others. This is how we beat this thing and get our economy growing again.
5. We must address racism and COVID-19 at the same time. These are not easy times. In addition to dealing with intense feelings and stress because we’re in a pandemic and struggling with economic losses, we are mourning the impacts of persistent unfairness and racism in our institutions and in our country. These stressors are not only hitting us all at one time, but they amplify each other. The isolation and instability we are feeling because of the pandemic make it harder to handle and respond to the injustices we’re seeing. The health inequities marginalized and oppressed communities already experience are highlighted and intensified by the impacts of COVID-19. We cannot all be healthy when racism in our institutions is unchecked.

Practice compassion

Take care of yourself and others. Eat nourishing food, get some physical activity, sleep, and stay connected to others. Take breaks from the news and social media, even if they’re brief. Ask for help when you need it, and provide help to others when you can.

More information

Stay tuned to our blog for more information on how you can help stop the spread of COVID-19. Sign up to be notified whenever we post new articles.

Information in this blog changes rapidly. Check the state’s COVID-19 website for up-to-date and reliable info at coronavirus.wa.gov.

Answers to your questions or concerns about COVID-19 in Washington state may be found at our website. You can also contact our call center at
1–800–525–0127. Hours: 6 am-10 pm, seven days a week.

Department of Health call center: 1–800–525–0127, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m, seven days a week

Please check our website for the most up-to-date info on Washington’s response to COVID-19 at www.doh.wa.gov/coronavirus.