If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, stay inside: Dr. Bonnie Henry | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, stay inside: Dr. Bonnie Henry

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

While 472 B.C. residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19, there are hundreds, likely thousands, who have the virus or think they might have the virus but haven’t been tested.

B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry clarified today, March 23, just when it’s safe to go back outside again and what your responsibilities are.

“If you have any symptoms, stay home, stay in, ask for help if you need it,” she said during her daily briefing in response to a question from iNFOnews.ca. “We do not want you going out.”

But that doesn’t have to persist for a full 14 days, as long as you’re careful about keeping a safe social distance.

“If you’re in the quarantine period and you’re not symptomatic, if you’ve recovered and you’re in that period where you no longer have symptoms, it is OK to do some things outside,” she explained. “So, that is going out by yourself. Go for a bike ride, a run. But not in places where you’re going to come in contact with other people.

“It’s not OK to go to the grocery store. It’s not OK to go in a taxi. It’s not OK to do those things but, yes, it’s OK to go with your dog in the back yard or walk your dog in a secluded place by yourself and maintaining your distance from each other. Those types of things are reasonable.”

For those who may be worried about a cough or fever, she suggested going to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website.

It lists symptoms, and there is a self-assessment tool here, that more than a million British Columbians have accessed.

The self-assessment tool starts with the most severe symptoms, such as severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, having a very hard time waking up, feeling confused or losing consciousness. In those cases, it recommends calling 911 or going to the emergency ward.

Less severe symptoms, such as mild to moderate shortness of breath, an inability to lie down because of difficulty breathing or a chronic condition you are having trouble dealing with because of a shortness of breath, could trigger a call to your family doctor or 811.

But, if you just have a fever, cough, sneezing or sore throat, stay at home for 10 days, given the caveat that, if the symptoms go away, you should still limit your outdoor activities and not go to stores or places where you can’t keep your distance from others.

There are also directions for those returning from trips or being in contact with those who may be sick with COVID-19.


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