COVID-19

We are currently seeing COVID19 in the community. Johnson County, Kansas, now reports all ER visits for respiratory tract infecionshere. This includes COVID-19, flu, and RSV.

Up to date information can be found at

• CDC Main COVID19 page
• CDC What to do if you are sick?

To help decrease the spread of COVID19 we recommend:

• Wear masks when you must be around anyone with a virus that spreads through the air, such ascold and coughs. Infected people over 2 years should attempt to mask as much as possible.Use qualitymasks (well fitted N95, KN95 or KF94) tohelp protect the wearer from infection.
• Wash hands frequently. Hand sanitizers can also be used for most respiratory infections but are not effective against all infections, especially viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea.
• Wipe down countertops, handles, and other surfaces with a disinfectant frequently.Some germs, such as norovirus (which commonly causes vomiting and diarrhea) are not inactivated by commercial disinfectants. When vomiting or diarrhea is a concern, a bleach solution (1/2 cup chlorine bleach and one gallon of water) is recommended for disinfecting contaminated surfaces and items.
• Clean toys: Plush toys can be washed in the washer machine. Solid plastic toys, like rubber rings, animal figures and building blocks and bricks can easily becleaned in yourdishwasher'stop rack or cleaning products (Clorox or Lysol wipes, a cloth wet with a a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, 1/2 cup chlorine bleach and one gallon of water.) If a cleaning solution is used, follow the package directions. If bleach water is used, allow it to stay wet for 5 minutes before air drying. After fully cleaning, you can rinse with water to remove products.
• ​Turn your home heating/cooling system's fan to "on" rather than "auto" to circulate air better.
• If weather is appropriate, open windows. Just a crack helps!
• Consider aHEPA filter box fan DIY air filter.If you need information about various filters, Clean Air Stars has a helpful spreadsheet.