If you get sick with COVID-19, your husband will miss you being his backseat driver.

Get protected with an updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Expand your knowledge of COVID-19Whatever your age or health status, preventing severe COVID is a priority. Learning all you can about COVID-19 can help protect you and those around you. By making the updated vaccine a part of your health routine, you take an important step toward reducing your chances of getting severe and Long COVID.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 often begins with mild symptoms that feel like a cold or the flu. These can start 2 to 14 days after virus exposure. Symptoms usually develop in stages instead of happening all at once. For some people, COVID-19 infection progresses to more serious and even life-threatening conditions. Signs and symptoms may include: fever or chills; change in taste or smell; sore throat; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea; muscle or body aches; fatigue; headache; congestion or runny nose; cough, shortness of breath.
COVID-19 spreads primarily through small respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. It can also spread by direct contact, such as touching or shaking hands, and by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching your face without washing your hands first. (CDC) (World Health Organization (WHO)).
There are several treatments available for COVID-19. Treatment can include supportive care with rest, fluids, and pain relief, as well as antiviral medications, and other therapies for those with more severe symptoms. Individuals should speak to their healthcare professional for advice and management tailored to their specific condition. (CDC) (CDPH Home).
Yes, you can get COVID-19 more than once. Immunity to COVID-19 can decrease over time, leading to the possibility of reinfection at different stages in life. Reinfections can occur with or without symptoms. For older adults and individuals with underlying health conditions, reinfections can lead to more serious illness due to natural changes in the immune system and overall health as we age. (CDC) (Department of Industrial Relations (DIR)).
Generally, individuals with COVID-19 are contagious for up to 10 days after they show symptoms. However, those with ongoing symptoms or weakened immune systems may remain infectious for longer. It's important to follow public health guidelines and consult with healthcare professionals to determine the appropriate isolation period. (CDC).
Severe COVID can lead to hospitalization, admission to intensive care, or death. These outcomes are more common in older adults, individuals with heart and lung diseases, or those with weakened immune systems. While death due to COVID-19 can occur at any age, most deaths related to severe COVID occur in those aged 65 and older. COVID-19 infection is also known to worsen existing conditions, such as COPD, asthma, and congestive heart failure. (World Health Organization (WHO)) (CDPH Home).
Various vaccines, including those from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, are available and recommended. Staying up to date with vaccinations helps prevent severe illness and hospitalization. (CDPH Home).
Common side effects include pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and mild fever. Serious side effects, such as anaphylaxis, myocarditis, or pericarditis are rare but may occur. (CDC) (CDC Safety).
COVID-19 vaccines are updated each year according to the FDA's recommendation to better match the most current and widely circulating virus strains. This annual update helps ensure that the vaccines are more effective in protecting against the evolving virus, similar to how flu vaccines are updated regularly to adapt to changing strains. This helps improve your immunity and gives better protection against getting sick. (Yale Medicine) (Mayo Clinic News Network).
Almost everyone can get the COVID-19 vaccine. It is available for people aged 6 months and older. There are different types of COVID-19 vaccines, and your doctor can help you decide which one is best for you based on your age and health. (CDC) (Mayo Clinic).
COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death, significantly reducing the risk of severe sickness from COVID-19 regardless of the vaccine type. Even if you do catch the virus after being vaccinated, you are likely to have milder symptoms. ​​(CDC) (Johns Hopkins).
There are three main types of COVID-19 vaccines: mRNA vaccines, viral vector vaccines, and protein-based vaccines. It doesn't matter much which type of vaccine you get, as they all provide strong protection against COVID-19. However, your doctor or pharmacist can help you decide which one is best for you based on your age, health, and availability. (Mayo Clinic) (Johns Hopkins).

Resources

CDC COVID-19 Resource Center

External link to CDC COVID-19 info: prevention, symptoms, testing, vaccination, and travel guidelines.

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Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Information

External link to Mayo Clinic COVID-19 info: symptoms, testing, treatments, vaccines, and advice for managing the disease.

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WHO COVID-19 Information

External link to World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 info: global perspectives, situation reports, technical guidance, and public advice.

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NIH COVID-19 Research

External link to National Institutes of Health (NIH) COVID-19 info: latest research, clinical trials, and health information.

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Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Resource Center

External link to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.

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Medicare.gov COVID-19 Information

External link to Medicare.gov COVID-19 info: how COVID-19 affects beneficiaries, including tests, vaccines, and telehealth.

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Ajufo E, Rao S, Navar AM, Pandey A, Ayers CR, Khera A. U.S. population at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Am J Preventative Cardiol. 2021;6: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpc.2021.100156 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-NET. Interactive dashboard. May 30, 2024. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/covid/php/covid-net/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcovidnetdashboard%2Fde%2Fpowerbi%2Fdashboard.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Long COVID or post-COVID conditions. July 20, 2023. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/133106

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monthly age-adjusted rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalization by vaccination status in patients ages ≥18 years January 2021 - January 2023. April 6, 2023. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/129160

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. Long COVID. Household Pulse Survey. July 12, 2024. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/long-covid.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Provisional Mortality on CDC WONDER Online Database. Provisional mortality statistics, 2018 through last week results. Deaths occurring through March 30, 2024 as of April 7, 2024. http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10-provisional.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with certain medical conditions. April 15, 2024. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET). Updated August 16, 2024. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/resp-net/dashboard/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of COVID-19. October 26, 2022. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html [archived] 

Davis HE, McCorkell L, Vogel JM, Topol EJ. Long COVID: Major Findings, Mechanisms and Recommendations. Nat Rev Microbiol. Published online 2023. doi:10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2

Hampshire A, Azor A, Atchison C, et al. Cognition and Memory after Covid-19 in a Large Community Sample. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(9):806-818. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2311330

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Coronavirus diagnosis: what should I expect. January 24, 2022. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/diagnosed-with-covid-19-what-to-expect

Kuang S, Earl S, Clarke J, Zakaria D, Demers A, Aziz S. Experiences of Canadians With Long-Term Symptoms Following COVID-19. Statistics Canada. Published August 4, 2023. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00015-eng.pdf?st=itgaBcHz

Moghadas SM, Vilches TN, Zhang K, et al. The Impact of Vaccination on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreaks in the United States. Clin Infect Dis. 2021;73(12):2257-2264. doi:10.1093/cid/ciab079

Taylor CA, Patel K, Patton ME, et al. COVID-19-Associated Hospitalizations Among U.S. Adults Aged ≥65 Years - COVID-NET, 13 States, January-August 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(40):1089-1094. Published 2023 Oct 6. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7240a3

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