Communicable Diseases
Information for Patients and Families
Dallas County Health and Human Services - 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207
Telephone: 214-819-2000
Frequently Asked Questions
Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 is a new respiratory virus first identified in 2019. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. There are several known coronaviruses that infect people and usually only cause mild respiratory disease, such as the common cold. You can learn more about COVID-19 at the CDC website. The virus that causes COVID-19 most commonly spreads between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet, or 2 arm lengths). t spreads through respiratory droplets or small particles, such as those in aerosols, produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks, or breathes. These particles can be inhaled into the nose, mouth, airways, and lungs and cause infection. This is thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Droplets can also land on surfaces and objects and be transferred by touch. The main way COVID-19 spreads is through the droplets and airborne particles that are formed when a person who has COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, sings, talks, or breathes. The droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or in fitness classes). In general, indoor environments without good ventilation increase this risk. Getting vaccinated reduces your risk of getting COVID-19 -- and also stops the spread of COVID-19. For more information about how the virus spreads, see the CDC's FAQ.
Symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Additional symptoms include headache, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, new loss or taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. This is not a comprehensive list. Please visit the CDC for more information on symptoms of COVID-19. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs may include: trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face. (This list is not all the possible symptoms, so consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.) .
Most people who contract COVID-19 will experience mild symptoms; however, there are groups of people who need to take extra precautions. People at higher risk for severe illness include: older adults; people at any age with chronic conditions, including cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease); heart conditions; weakened immune system from a solid organ transplant; obesity or severe obesity; pregnancy; sickle cell disease; smoking; Type 2 diabetes. Other populations that need to take extra precautions include: people experiencing homelessness; people with disabilities; and possibly people with the following health conditions: asthma, cerebrovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, high blood pressure, weakened immune system (from a blood or bone marrow transplant, HIV, immune deficiencies, use of corticosteroids or other immune weakening medicines), neurologic conditions such as dementia, liver disease, overweight, pulmonary fibrosis, Thalassemia, Type 1 diabetes.
- People with COVID-19 may receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Emergency Use Authorization of potential treatments. A summary of these treatments can be found here.
- Information on Convalescent Plasma (Texas Medical Association), which can help when given to patients early in their illness.
If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, you should call ahead to a healthcare provider or visit a drive-thru testing location or other testing location. If your symptoms are mild, you can:
- Visit the CDC's Coronavirus Self-Checker to answer questions about your symptoms and receive guidance to help you make a decision on whether or not to seek medical care.
- Call 2-1-1 for general public inquiries about COVID-19 resources.
- Individuals who have been identified by public health as high risk for COVID-19 will be given specific recommendations to seek care for testing for COVID-19, if needed.
- GET VACCINATED. Vaccines are free, and available through the county and many pharmacies and clinics.
- Wear a mask over your mouth and nose.
- Stay at least 6 feet away from other people, even when you are wearing a mask.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
If you test positive for COVID-19, know what protective steps to take if you are sick. Most people have mild COVID-19 illness and can recover at home without medical care. Contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms get worse or if you have questions about your health.
If you test negative for COVID-19, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. This does not mean you will not get sick:
- A negative test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing or that your sample was collected too early in your infection.
- You could also be exposed to COVID-19 after the test and then get infected and spread the virus to others.
- If you have symptoms later, you may need another test to determine if you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
If you think you were exposed to COVID-19 and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, you should contact a healthcare provider or visit a drive-thru testing location or other testing location to be screened for COVID-19 testing. Before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your symptoms. Cover your nose and mouth with a cloth face covering BEFORE you enter the healthcare facility for medical evaluation. Follow the CDC's recommendations for what to do if you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19.
Call your contacts and tell them you are sick. By sharing your information with others, you can slow the spread of illness. Inform people in your family and others you had close contact with while contagious (when you could spread the virus to others) that they need to stay home and monitor their health to make sure they do not get sick and infect others. People with COVID-19 are considered to be contagious both while they are sick and for 2 days before symptoms began. People who tested positive for COVID-19, but never developed symptoms, are considered to be infectious from 2 days before the positive test to 10 days after the positive test. Inform your close contacts that the health department may call, and ask them to speak with health department staff if they do call. Let your close contacts know that they need to stay home and monitor their health even if the health department does not call them. Please notify your close contacts easily by using this webpage: www.tellyourcontacts.org
Answer the call. Your local health department might contact you to check-in on your health, discuss who you’ve been in contact with and ask you to stay at home to self-isolate. This is part of contact tracing.You may also get a text message with more information from DCHHS.
If you tested positive for COVID-19, you will need to stay at home unless you need to see a doctor. As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home. If possible, you should use a separate bathroom. If you need to be around other people or animals in or outside of the home, wear a mask.
Most people with COVID-19 can be ‘released’ from isolation and can be around others after:
- At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, and
- At least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication, and
- Other symptoms are improving. (Note: the loss of taste or smell might last for weeks or months after recovery. This should not delay the end of isolation)
If you tested positive for COVID-19 but never had any symptoms, you can be around others after 10 days have passed since the first positive diagnostic test.
For most people, getting another COVID-19 test to determine when to end isolation is not recommended. If you have severe to critical COVID-19 and/or a weakened immune system because of a health condition or medication, check with your healthcare provider about when to stop isolation.
Although most people with COVID-19 get better within weeks of illness, some people experience post-COVID conditions. Post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience more than four weeks after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Even people who did not have symptoms when they were infected can have post-COVID conditions. These conditions can have different types and combinations of health problems for different lengths of time. CDC and experts around the world are working to learn more about short- and long-term health effects associated with COVID-19, who gets them, and why. You can find more information about Long-COVID on the CDC's website .
While children do not appear to be at higher risk for COVID-19 than adults, VDH, CDC, and other public health staff are investigating Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) linked to COVID-19. MIS-C may cause problems with a child’s heart and other systems in the body. Signs and symptoms of MIS-C include fever, belly or gut pain, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, rash, neck pain, bloodshot eyes, red or cracked lips, red or bumpy tongue, or swollen hands and feet.
If your child has any of these signs or other symptoms of COVID-19, contact your pediatrician. If your child is showing any emergency warning signs including trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest that won’t go away, new confusion, can’t wake or stay awake, bluish lips or face, severe belly pain, or other concerning signs, seek emergency care right away.
To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines how to get one in Dallas County, please go to our vaccine webpage.
All air passengers coming into the United States, including U.S. citizens, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board a flight to the United States. See the Frequently Asked Questions (CDC) for more information.
Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
To learn more about requirements for international travel, you can find information from the CDC here .
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