We're in an industry that is forefront to the effective treatment of a high risk population, and we're proud to serve.

Please be aware that we are taking this very seriously. We will provide you with the latest information as it comes in right here on the website and we'll be sending a letter every two weeks with updates.. Please continue to wash your hands, stay home/limit outings as much as possible, and stay apprised of healthcare recommendations. If you have the Coronavirus or symptoms, you do NOT need to go to the hospital. Go to the hospital if you experience any life-threatening emergency or difficulty breathing. Family members and friends should not be visiting you at this time.

Your visits look a little different right now.

• All caregivers self-screen daily

• All clients are screened on the day of visits

• We do have all the PPE required when it is needed - you can see more here about how we decide when to use it

• You may see caregivers wearing a mask as a precaution

• Our visits are currently under a "Care-Only" policy meaning that any visits we can do telephonically or push back have been.

• An update letter is sent out every two weeks with your invoice, since we know electronic communication isn't the best thing for many of our clients!

• See our FAQ's page for answers to questions you probably are asking yourself right now

• Any caregiver who sees a COVID-presumptive or positive will NOT see non-COVID clients simultaneously (So if you do NOT have COVID precautions in place, then you can know that any caregiver that comes to see you has NOT seen any COVID-presumptive or positive clients).

What to do if you have symptoms:

Symptoms are very similar to the seasonal flu and include:

• Fever

• Cough

• Shortness of breath/Difficulty Breathing

If you have mild symptoms:

1. Call your Primary Care Doctor and make them aware

2. Limit your exposure to others - do not go anywhere with large crowds and in fact, don’t go out of the home unless you absolutely need to

3. Wash your hands frequently

4. Use treatment as prescribed - do not panic

5. Tell Silver Lining - we need to ensure our staff are ready! Please report to Care Services (888.672.9028) if you have recently traveled outside the United States and have signs and symptoms of Covid-19.

If you have severe symptoms (difficulty breathing, no ability to catch your breath):

1. Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room

Bayhealth has established a telephone triage system to take calls from people in the community worried about potential COVID-19 symptoms they may be experiencing. People experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath may call our coronavirus triage line at 302-310-8477. The line is open Monday – Friday, 8:15 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Callers meeting screening criteria for COVID-19 testing will be referred to one of Bayhealth's off-site drive-thru testing sites.

We’ve seen a lot of recommendations for how to try to avoid getting coronavirus in the first place -- like good hand-washing/ disinfecting -- but here is some information on what to do if you do get COVID-19. **THIS DOES NOT ELIMINATE YOUR NEED TO CONTACT A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WITH SYMPTOMS, AND DOESN'T SUPERSEDE YOUR PHYSICIAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS - ALWAYS CONTACT A PHYSICIAN PRIOR TO SELF-MEDICATING WHEN YOU HAVE THESE SYMPTOMS**

You'll want to prepare as though you know you’re going to get a nasty respiratory bug, like bronchitis or pneumonia.

Things you could consider buying ahead of time: Kleenex, Anti-inflammatories like Tylenol or Ibuprofen, Mucinex, Robitussin or whatever your generic cough medicine of choice is (check the label and make sure you're not doubling up on acetaminophen - some brands like DayQuil have it included). You may want a cough medicine with both a cough suppressant and expectorant. Vicks Vapor Rub for your chest is also a great suggestion.

If you have a medical contraindication to any of these over-the-counter medications, you should NOT take them. If you are on blood thinners, for example, no Advil for you — if you are on blood pressure meds, you need to be careful about which cough medicine you take. if you're pregnant, there are specific medications you should not take. Check with your doc or pharmacist if you’re even the slightest bit unsure and these aren’t meds you routinely take for a cough/cold.

If you don’t have a humidifier, that would be a good thing to have and run in your bedroom overnight. (You can also turn the shower on hot and sit in the bathroom, breathing in the steam). If you have a history of asthma and you have a prescription inhaler, make sure the one you have isn’t expired and refill it/get a new one if it is.

This is also a good time to meal prep: make a big batch of your favorite soup to freeze and have on hand. Whatever your favorite clear fluids are to drink (Sprite, juice, La Croix, Fresca, G2 or whatever floats your boat), stock your pantry with those. Maybe get some nice soothing teas too!

For symptom management: Use the medications mentioned. For a fever over 101, alternate Tylenol 650 mg and Advil 400 mg so you’re taking a dose of one then the other every 3 hours (ie Tylenol at 9 am, Advil at noon, Tylenol at 3 Pm etc.)

Drink A TON, hydrate hydrate hydrate. Rest lots. You should NOT be leaving your house except to go to the doctor, and if you do, wear a mask (regular is fine, you don’t need an N95). Limit your contact with others to prevent spreading.

You DO NOT NEED TO GO TO THE ER unless you are having trouble breathing or your fever is very high and unmanaged with meds. Most of healthy adult cases thus far have been managed at home with basic rest/hydration/over-the-counter meds. We don’t want to clog the ERs unless you’re actually in distress. The hospital beds will be used for people who actively need oxygen/breathing treatments/IV fluids.

If you have a pre-existing lung condition (COPD, emphysema, lung cancer) or are on immunosuppressants, now is a great time to talk to your PCP or specialist about what they would like you to do if you get sick. They might have plans to get you admitted and bypass the ER entirely.

One major relief to you parents is that kids do VERY well with coronavirus— they usually bounce back in a few days, NO ONE under 18 has died (as of this update being written on 03/15/20), and almost no kids have required hospitalization (unless they have a lung disease like CF). Be sure to use kids formulations of OTC meds and dose appropriately for their age/weight, and ask the pediatrician if you have any questions about medication safety for your child’s age.

Remember to keep calm and prepare rationally!