COVID-19 Statement

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) & the Recovery Community

What you need to know

By now it’s likely much of the recovery community is aware of the Coronavirus Disease 2019, a respiratory illness (also referred to by the acronym, COVID-19) originating in China, known to spread from person to person.

As COVID-19 gains prevalence within the United States, Faces and Voices of Recovery wants to ensure the recovery community is informed of how to access emerging resources to help to prepare and protect yourselves, your families, and your communities. To that end we highlight the following useful information.

In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal agency having a primary public health management role during the COVID-19 outbreak, the following everyday preventive actions can help to protect against respiratory illnesses.

• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
• Staying home when you are sick
• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice), especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place
• Avoiding touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth
• Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue (not your hand), then throwing the tissue in the trash
• Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces (countertops, doorknobs, faucets, desks, light switches, cell phones, remote controls).

• Social distancing – a way to keep people from interacting closely or frequently enough to spread an infectious disease. Schools and other gathering places such as movie theaters may close, and sports events and religious services may be cancelled.
• Quarantine – separates and restricts the movement of people who have been exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. It lasts long enough to ensure the person has not contracted an infectious disease.
• Isolation – prevents the spread of an infectious disease by separating people who are sick from those who are not. It lasts as long as the disease is contagious.

Source: https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4894.pdf

Key Resource: IN THE ROOMS™ A GLOBAL RECOVERY COMMUNITY https://www.intherooms.com/home/

Important considerations for recovery-focused organizations such as RCOs

• Staying alert to precautions and communications issued by local public health officials, particularly if providing in-person recovery support services

• Proactively identifying how services offered through the organization may be impacted or disrupted by public health management interventions and preparing operational response and procedures now for implementation in the event they may be needed in the coming weeks
• Having a communication plan for disseminating important information relating to COVID-19 to employees, volunteers, and those the organization serves, both internal and external to the organization
• Staying mindful the organization may be the sole source of COVID-19 related information for the local recovery community

Key Resource: CDC – Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html