Prevention and Treatment
Protect Yourself and Others
A few simple steps can greatly reduce your chances of being exposed and exposing others to COVID-19, the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2. Everyone should:
- Practice good hygiene: cover coughs and sneezes, don't touch your face, and wash hands often
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick, even inside your home
- Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others not in your household
- Use face masks when in public
- Clean and disinfect frequently used items and touched surfaces often
- Consider the COVID-19 vaccine
The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to it. Learn more on How to Protect Yourself and Others from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Podcast: Standard Precautions and Beyond
Standard Precautions and Beyond: Conversations in Infection Prevention and Control is a new podcast for the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance --- a collaborative effort of the ADPH Infectious Disease and Outbreaks Division and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The podcast, featuring Dr. David Kimberlin, Professor and Co-Director of the UAB Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, is now available on YouTube. Dr. Kimberlin discusses COVID-19 in pediatric patients, how to keep children safe from the Delta variant, and answers questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children.
Faces of COVID
"When I sat down in the chair and talked to the nurse who would administer the COVID-19 vaccine to me, I felt a sense of peace." - Alexis
Watch Her Video | Read Her Story
Previous Faces of COVID stories:
Prevention Resources
General Prevention Tips
- Safer Ways to Celebrate the Holidays
- Download the GuideSafe Exposure Notifications App
- Smart Shopping Flyer: English | Spanish
Physical Distancing
- Keeping Your Distance to Slow the Spread (CDC)
- Tips for Coping with Social Distancing and Quarantine from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Video: How COVID-19 Can Spread in a Community (CDC)
Hand Hygiene
- Wash Your Hands Poster: Spanish
- Wash Your Hands Poster: English | French | Spanish
- Video: What You Need to Know About Handwashing (CDC)
- Video: Stop the Spread of Germs (CDC)
Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Cleaning and Disinfecting in Public Places
- Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility (CDC)
- Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home (CDC)
- Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-COV-2 (EPA)
Gloves and Face Coverings
- DIY Cloth Face Covering Instructions | Spanish
- How to Properly Remove Gloves
- Use Masks to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 (CDC)
- Wearing a Face Covering in the Summer (Flyer)
Outpatient Treatment
Management of Patients with COVID-19 is based on the severity of the disease. Specific treatments recommended for persons hospitalized with severe illness are not covered below.
Here are some important CDC resources for those with COVID-19 or caring for those with COVID-19:
- 10 Ways to Manage Symptoms at Home
- When You Are Sick
- What to Do If You Are Sick
- Caring for Someone at Home
Download Best Practices for the Therapeutic Management of Non-Hospitalized Adults with COVID-19
Three monoclonal antibody regimens: sotrovimab, bamlanivimab/etesevimab and casirivimab/imdevimab have received emergency use authorization for the outpatient treatment of mild to moderate coronarvirus disease in persons 12 years of age and older, weighing at least 40 kg, having a positive COVID-19 test, and who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. In addition, casirivimab/imdevimab is approved for post exposure prophylaxis in high-risk persons. The definition of high-risk may vary slightly for each product. These medicines should be given within 10 days of symptom onset or as soon as possible after exposure.
Page last updated: January 18, 2022
