COVID-19 / Respiratory Illness Information New! CDC Respiratory Illness Guidance Important steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses: Stay up to date with immunizations Practice good hygiene – wash hands often; clean surfaces like doorknobs, counters, and phones; cover your coughs and sneezes Take steps for cleaner air – meet outside or bring in fresh outside air, or purifying indoor air Steps for additional protection include masks, physical distancing, and/or testing. When you are sick, take steps to prevent the spread of illness: Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick). Seek care promptly for testing and/or treatment if you have risk factors for severe illness. You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours: Your symptoms are getting better overall, AND You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). When you go back to your normal activities, take added precautions over the next 5 days, such as steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing. COVID vaccines New! People aged 65 years and older who received 1 dose of any updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax) should receive 1 additional dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after the previous updated dose. Learn more about staying up to date on your COVID immunizations. COVID-19 vaccines are available at many pharmacies. Visit our Find a Flu Vaccination page for a list of local pharmacies and clinics that includes COVID-19 and RSV vaccine information. Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 43882, or call 1-800-232-0233. If you don’t have insurance or your insurance does not cover the cost of vaccines, search for pharmacies that offer the Bridge Access program for free COVID-19 vaccines for adults. COVID vaccines are available at the Health Department for children who qualify for the Vaccines for Children program. Testing Testing for respiratory viruses can help you decide what to do next, like getting treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness and taking steps to lower your chances of spreading a virus to others. Free COVID-19 tests are still available at Carroll County Public Library branches. Learn more about testing for respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Treatment If you have COVID-19 and are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, treatments are available that can reduce your risk of hospitalization and death. Don’t delay: Treatment must be started within 5-7 days after you first develop symptoms. Other medications can help reduce symptoms and help you manage your illness. Maryland COVID-19 Data by County CDC COVID Data and Respiratory Illness Data Long COVID Information