The COVID-19 coronavirus: What You Should Know

COVID-19 INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

The City of Dover continues to monitor the COVID-19 coronavirus in our community, and reminds residents to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Residents with concerns or questions about COVID-19 can call the state's COVID-19 hotline at 2-1-1, Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Vaccines continue to be an effective tool to help curb the spread of COVID-19. To sign up for a vaccine, visit www.vaccines.gov

Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters

CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, including all primary series doses and boosters for their age group:

  • People ages 6 months through 4 years should get all COVID-19 primary series doses.
  • People ages 5 years and older should get all primary series doses, and the booster dose recommended for them by CDC, if eligible.
    • People ages 5 years to 11 years are currently recommended to get the original (monovalent) booster.
    • People ages 12 years and older are recommended to receive one updated Pfizer or Moderna (bivalent) booster.
    • ^This includes people who have received all primary series doses and people who have previously received one or more original (monovalent) boosters.
    • ^At this time, people aged 12 years to 17 years can only receive the updated Pfizer bivalent booster.
  • Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against COVID-19.
  • People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters.
  • COVID-19 vaccine and booster recommendations may be updated as CDC continues to monitor the latest data.

Why Vaccines are Recommended for Children and Teens

Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults, children can:

  • Be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19
  • Get very sick from COVID-19
  • Have both short and long-term health complications from COVID-19
  • Spread COVID-19 to others

Children with underlying medical conditions are more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared with children without underlying medical conditions. Children who get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can also develop serious complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)—a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.

Where can I get a vaccine?

Vaccines are readily available at your local pharmacy or your health care provider. Please speak with your health care provider if you have questions. 

To learn more, review the CDC Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination

When to Get Tested for COVID-19

  • Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
  • If you came into close contact with someone with COVID-19, wear a well-fitting face mask around other people for 10 days, especially in indoor settings. If symptoms develop, stay home and get tested for COVID-19. Get tested for COVID-19 on day 5, even if you don't have symptoms.
  • Isolate if you have tested positive for COVID-19 for at least 5 days. Isolation can end after day 5 if you are fever-free and other COVID-19 symptoms are improving. For 10 days, wear a well-fitting face mask when around other people, avoid people who are immunocompromised or high-risk, and avoid travel.
  • Follow any applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, and regulations.

To find test locations and resources, visit: https://www.covid19.nh.gov/resources/testing-guidance 

What are the symptoms?

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle of body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Is there a treatment?

There are no specific antiviral treatments recommended for infection with the COVID-19. People infected with COVID-19 can receive supportive care at home to help relieve symptoms, such as taking pain or fever medications, drinking plenty of fluids, and staying home and resting. Some patients who are very sick may need to go to the hospital to get care.

People who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their health care provider immediately.

Additional resources

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services website provides updated information about the state's response to COVID-19. The page can be accessed at: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/

Additional information, including advisories for travel, businesses and schools, can be found at the Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 page at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

The Dover School District also provides updates about COVID-19 and the response by school officials here.