COVID cases are rising locally. Here’s how to protect yourself

Here we go again.

A recent spike in local COVID-19 infections has Sonoma County health officials and medical providers warning the public this week about the ongoing threat of the disease.

Here are some ways to protect yourself against COVID, according to local officials and the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Stay up to date on your COVID vaccines. While vaccinated people can still get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, vaccines significantly lower the risk of getting very sick, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19, according to the CDC.

Wear a face covering indoors or in crowded areas. Kaiser Permanente, Sonoma County’s largest primary care provider, has begun requiring staff and doctors to wear masks at its Santa Rosa facilities, the medical provider said Thursday.

In addition to Kaiser’s move, Sutter Health stated that masks are “strongly recommended” for patients and visitors at its facilities. The recommendation was also echoed by Dr. Karen Smith, the county’s interim health officer, this week.

There is no countywide mandate for masking.

In addition to masking up indoors, the CDC recommends improving ventilation and filtration to help prevent virus particles from accumulating and spending time outside when possible instead of inside as viral particles spread between people more readily indoors than outdoors.

Get tested for COVID if you have symptoms such as cough, fever or chills, fatigue, difficulty breathing or body aches.

If you are infected, stay home and away from others for at least five days and wear a high-quality mask when indoors around others for a period of time.

Avoid contact with people who have COVID-19, whether or not they feel sick.

For more information, go to www.cdc.gov.

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