What You Need to Know: COVID-19 Coronavirus

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The most important thing you can do right now is not to panic, but prepare and educate yourself. Here are some great resources. To stay up to date, you can follow the CDC on Twitter and Facebook or subscribe to their email newsletter. Click here to view the latest on U.S. cases.

If you are from New Jersey, stuck abroad, and need help getting back to the United States, please contact COVIDTravel@menendez.senate.gov.

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Table of Contents

 

Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC)

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, everyday preventive actions can help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases:

  • Wash your hands often
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
  • Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • For more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
  • How it spreads: The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Read more.
  • Symptoms: For confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Symptoms can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Read more.
  • Prevention & treatment: There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. Read more.
  • Testing: CDC has developed a new laboratory test kit for use in testing patient specimens for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19. Read more.
  • CDC also offers free resources including video, fact sheets, and posters. Click here to view them.
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • What to Do If You Are Sick With Coronavirus Disease 2019
  • Resources for Travelers
  • Guidance for all Persons with HIV

   

New Jersey COVID-19 Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/

The New Jersey Department of Health opened a 24-hour hotline (1-800-222-1222) for the public to ask questions about the novel coronavirus. This hotline provides factual information to alleviate fear and dispel rumors. New Jersey is continuing to work closely with the CDC and local health partners to monitor the situation and will provide updates accordingly.

All residents with questions or concerns about COVID-19 and resources available to them can call 2-1-1. NJ 211 is New Jersey's statewide, comprehensive, information and referral service operated by United Ways of New Jersey. Residents call also text NJCOVID to 898-211 to receive text information and stay informed. To receive live text assistance, residents can text their zip code to 898-211.

  

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) just posted Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Essential Health Benefits (EHB) Coverage in response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The purpose of the FAQs is to provide guidance to Americans enrolled in individual or small group market health plans, including HealthCare.gov consumers. Many health insurance issuers announced they will be treating COVID-19 diagnostic tests as covered benefits and will be waiving cost-sharing that would otherwise apply to the tests. States are the primary regulators of health coverage and are continuing to work with issuers to ensure coverage of COVID-19 related services. Patients should contact their insurer to determine specific benefits and coverage policies, as these details may vary by state and by plan.

Beware of Coronavirus Scams

  

What is Senator Menendez doing to stop the spread of coronavirus?

  

Todo lo que necesitas saber acerca del Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Lo más importante que puedes hacer en este momento es no entrar en pánico, pero prepararse e informarse. Para eso ponemos a tu disposición los siguientes recursos:

Centro para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC)

En la actualidad no existe una vacuna para prevenir la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). La mejor forma de prevenir la enfermedad es evitar la exposición a este virus. Sin embargo, como recordatorio, el CDC siempre recomienda medidas preventivas cotidianas para ayudar a prevenir la propagación de enfermedades respiratorias. Estas medidas incluyen:

  • Evitar el contacto cercano con personas enfermas.
  • Evitar tocarse los ojos, la nariz y la boca.
  • Quedarse en casa si está enfermo.
  • Cubrirse la nariz y la boca con un pañuelo desechable al toser o estornudar y luego botarlo a la basura.
  • Limpiar y desinfectar los objetos y las superficies que se tocan frecuentemente, usando un producto común de limpieza de uso doméstico en rociador o toallita.
  • Para mayor información visita:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment-sp.html

Preguntas frecuentes

  • ¿Cómo se propaga el virus? Parece que el nuevo coronavirus se está propagando de persona a persona. Es posible que alguien pueda contraer el COVID-19 al tocar una superficie u objeto que tiene el virus y luego tocarse la boca, la nariz o posiblemente los ojos, pero no se cree que esta sea la principal forma en que el virus se extiende. 
  • ¿Cuáles son los síntomas y las complicaciones que el COVID-19 puede causar?: Los síntomas actuales reportados por los pacientes con COVID-19 incluyen una enfermedad respiratoria, de leve a grave, con fiebre1, tos y dificultad para respirar
  • ¿Debería hacerme una prueba de detección del COVID-19?: Si presenta fiebre y síntomas de una enfermedad respiratoria, como tos o dificultad para respirar, dentro de los 14 días de haber llegado de un viaje a China u otro país con casos reportados de la enfermedad, debería llamar primero a un profesional de atención médica y mencionarle su reciente viaje o los contactos cercanos que haya tenido. Si usted ha tenido contacto cercano con alguien que llegó recientemente de un viaje proveniente de esa zona y que muestre estos síntomas, debería llamar a un profesional de atención médica y mencionarle el contacto cercano que usted tuvo y el viaje reciente de esa persona. Su profesional de atención médica trabajará con el departamento de salud pública estatal y con los CDC para determinar si necesita hacerle una prueba de detección del COVID-19.
  • Consulta otras preguntas frecuentes aquí.

 

Departamento de Salud de Nueva Jersey: https://covid19.nj.gov/es

Puede comunicarse las 24 horas del día al número del Centro Nacional de Envenamiento al1-800-222-1222 (solicite un traductor en español) para consultas urgentes acerca del coronavirus. Esta línea directa proporciona información objetiva para aliviar el miedo y disipar los rumores. Nueva Jersey continúa trabajando en estrecha colaboración con los CDC y los socios locales de salud para monitorear la situación y proporcionará actualizaciones en consecuencia.

Hoja de Datos COVID-19: English | Spanish | Simplified Chinese

Alerta de Viajes COVID-19: English | Spanish | Simplified Chinese

 

¿Qué está haciendo el Senador Menéndez para reducir la propagación del coronavirus?