Your Healthy & Safety is our Priority
The health and safety of the individuals and families we serve, our stakeholders, and our staff is our top priority. With the number of COVID cases again on the rise, Opening Arms continues to follow CDC guidelines and the recommendations of the Indiana Department of Health in providing services to individuals and families who rely on our support. As public health guidelines evolve, we will update our procedures and post them here. If you have any questions or concerns, please email our administrator.
Symptoms of COVID
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID, stay home and notify your healthcare provider. According to the CDC, these symptoms include:
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Fever
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Chills
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Cough
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Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
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Fatigue
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Muscle or body aches
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Headache
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New loss of taste or smell
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Sore throat
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Congestion
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Runny nose
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Nausea and/or vomiting
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Diarrhea
As we are all aware that many other conditions can cause these symptoms, including seasonal allergies. However, if no other known condition is causing your symptoms, you should suspect COVID. The CDC’s Coronavirus Self-Checker is a helpful tool. If an individual we serve or a staff member begins experiencing symptoms during the service day, arrangements will be made for that person to return home as soon as possible.
Preventing the spread of COVID
As we are all aware that many other conditions can cause these symptoms, including seasonal allergies. However, if no other known condition is causing your symptoms, you should suspect COVID. The CDC’s Coronavirus Self-Checker is a helpful tool. If an individual we serve or a staff member begins experiencing symptoms during the service day, arrangements will be made for that person to return home as soon as possible.
We are following a number of preventative measures including:
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Vaccinations - We strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated against COVID. People who are vaccinated but become sick with a “breakthrough case” of COVID are less likely to become seriously ill and require hospitalization.
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Social Distancing - We encourage everyone to practice social distancing of 6 feet whenever possible.
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Face Masks - We require face masks that cover the mouth and nose to be worn at all times; such as community living sites and anywhere else we provide services, regardless of vaccination status.
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Frequent Handwashing - Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds several times throughout the day. Including any sort of restroom breaks and lunch breaks.
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Cleaning & Disinfecting - Clean and disinfect all high-touch surfaces often and regularly throughout the day.
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Visitors - To reduce potential exposures, we are limiting external visitors to the program areas of our locations.
Quarantine
Calculating Quarantine
The date of your exposure is considered day 0. Day 1 is the first full day after your last contact with a person who has had COVID-19. Stay home and away from other people for at least 5 days.
If you were exposed to COVID-19 and are NOT up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations
Quarantine for at least 5 days
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Stay home
Stay home and quarantine for at least 5 full days.
Wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home.
Get tested
Even if you don’t develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
After quarantine
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Watch for symptoms
Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
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If you develop symptoms
Isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. Wear a well-fitted mask around others.
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Take precautions until day 10
Wear a mask
Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask.
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Avoid travel
Avoid being around people who are at high risk
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If you were exposed to COVID-19 and are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations
No quarantine
You do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms.
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Get tested
Even if you don’t develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
Watch for symptoms
Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
If you develop symptoms
Isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. Wear a well-fitted mask around others.
​
Take precautions until day 10
Wear a mask
Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask.
​
Avoid travel
Avoid being around people who are at high risk
If you were exposed to COVID-19 and had confirmed COVID-19 within the past 90 days (you tested positive using a viral test)
Take precautions until day 10
Wear a mask
Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask.
​
Avoid travel
Avoid being around people who are at high risk
Watch for symptoms
Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
​
If you develop symptoms
Isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. Wear a well-fitted mask around others.
No quarantine
You do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms.
Calculating Isolation
Day 0 is your first day of symptoms or a positive viral test. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed or your test specimen was collected. If you have COVID-19 or have symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days.
If you were exposed to COVID-19 and had confirmed COVID-19 within the past 90 days (you tested positive using a viral test)
Stay home for at least 5 days
Stay home for 5 days and isolate yourself from others in your home.
Wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home
Ending isolation if you had symptoms
End isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are improving.
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Ending isolation if you did NOT have symptoms
End isolation after at least 5 full days after your positive test.
If you were severely ill with COVID-19
You should isolate for at least 10 days. Consult your doctor before ending isolation.
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Take precautions until day 10
Wear a mask
Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask.
​
Avoid travel
Avoid being around people who are at high risk
DEFINITIONS
Exposure
Contact with someone infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in a way that increases the likelihood of getting infected with the virus.
Close Contact
Close contacts are someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinical diagnosis) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. For example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes.