KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is here and cases are surging throughout the county, region and state.
What should a person do to help mitigate the spread of Covid-19? One of the most important things is to stay home if you feel sick.
Health officials from Klamath County Public Health say that if you suspect you have COVID-19, stay home for five days.
Some people might experience fever longer than five days; they should be fever-free for 24 hours before leaving home.
If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, KCPH has outlined steps to follow to care for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community.
Stay home except to get medical care
Stay home for five days after testing positive.
"The first day is day zero. The day after that is day one. And the difference is that if you get to your day five and you're still running a fever, you need to be fever free for 24 hours before you leave your house," says Valeree Lane with Klamath County Public health.Â
Take care of yourself. Get rest and stay hydrated.
Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, or if you think it is an emergency.
Avoid public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
When to seek emergency medical attention
Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.
Reminder: prevention is protection
Each day everyone makes decisions that affect their health. During this surge time, which is also flu season, drink plenty of water, eat nutrient-rich food, and use all of the tools available to promote your health.
While Sky Lakes Medical Center is reporting fewer cases, officials say it could be several weeks until health care workers are less focused on cases for Omicron.Â
"Happily, the overall census is down today versus last week and last week was down versus a few weeks before that," said Tom Hottman with Sky Lakes Medical Center. "We're here all the time. We're open to take care of patients and their medical needs. But Covid does drag staff down."
