Press Release
As we enter fall, and a return to more congregate indoor gatherings, activities and the
return to school, we will likely see an increase in respiratory illnesses such as flu, RSV
and COVID-19. There are precautions you can take to help spread any illness to others,
especially those who are at risk of getting very sick such as the extremely young, older
adults, anyone with a compromised immune system or anyone with an underlying
health condition. When ill, precautions such as isolating and avoiding contact with
others, can help stop the spread of any respiratory illness.
Respiratory Illness Prevention
The nature of viruses are that they spread and they can mutate. It is important to
practice good health precautions all the time to limit the spread of all respiratory
illnesses. We encourage residents to practice the following:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover youth mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. This may
prevent those around you from getting sick. - Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available,
use an alcohol-based hand rub. - Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Talk with your healthcare provider and get vaccinated.
- Practice other good health habits:
Clean and disinfect touched surfaces at home, work or school
Get plenty of sleep
Engage in physical activity
Manage your stress
Drink plenty of fluids
Eat nutritious food
Respiratory Illness Recommendations for Schools and Businesses
As all federal, state and local emergency orders have ended, there are no executive
orders or emergency regulations in place for individuals, schools, businesses or
organizations relative to COVID-19. The Genesee and Orleans County Health
Departments (GO Health) encourage schools, businesses and organizations to have a
plan for increased respiratory illness transmission. Primary focus should be to
encourage employees and/or students to stay home if they are sick, to get tested and to
follow recommended isolation and health precautions to minimize spread in their
setting. GO Health will be tracking disease spread and providing this information on the
GO Health website and via press releases to the public as needed. We will also be
consulting and advising businesses and schools as requested throughout the upcoming
respiratory illness season.
General masking recommendations would be determined by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Department of Health. Private
settings including Medical centers/systems and other higher risk settings can develop
their own protocols. At their discretion, they may implement masking and/or other
interim controls to prevent the spread of illness within their locations.
COVID-19 Isolation and Precautions from the CDC
As expected, we are seeing new strains of COVID-19, each strain will present with
varying levels of transmissibility and severity. According to the CDC, you should isolate
from others when you have COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status. You should
also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19, but do not have test
results.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you should stay home for at least 5 days and
isolate from others. If you have to be around others in your home, you should
wear a high quality, well-fitting mask.
After five days, if you have no symptoms or your symptoms are improving (fever
free for 24 hours), you can end isolation, but you should wear a mask in public
for 5 days.
If you had symptoms and your symptoms are not improving, you should continue
to isolate for an additional five days. If your symptoms are severe, you should
contact your healthcare provider.
For more details on COVID-19 isolation guidance from the CDC, visit the CDC website.
For more information, guidance and resources for schools and childcare programs, visit
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/index.html
For tips and action steps on how to keep your business and employees healthy, visit
https://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/toolkit/pdf/actionsteps.pdf
Respiratory Disease Data
GO Health updates COVID-19 data on the GO Health website weekly on Wednesdays.
As we enter flu season, we will provide updates on flu activity as well. You can access
local health data here: GOHealthNY.org/health-data. It is important to note that this data
only includes reported cases. Many individuals are not getting tested and/or are not
reporting their positive COVID-19 cases.
Residents can also access the GO Health Wastewater Analysis Dashboard https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/5a09eb36e6b949b3a18381ce71fae46c to see if there has been an increase in respiratory illness activity in their respective town/village.