Get Your Home Ready

cdc.gov/coronavirus

CS 316126-A March 25, 2020 11:42 AM

This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the Coronavirus Disease 2019 

(COVID-19). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will update this interim guidance 

as needed and as additional information becomes available.

Before a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your 

community: Plan 

A COVID-19 outbreak could last for a long time in your 

community. Depending on the severity of the outbreak, public 

health officials may recommend community actions designed to 

help keep people healthy, reduce exposures to COVID-19, and 

slow the spread of the disease. Local public health officials may 

make recommendations appropriate to your local situation. 

Creating a household plan can help protect your health and 

the health of those you care about in the event of an outbreak 

of COVID-19 in your community. You should base the details 

of your household plan on the needs and daily routine of your 

household members.

Create a household plan of action 

√ Talk with the people who need to be included in your plan. Meet with household members, 

other relatives, and friends to discuss what to do if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community

and what the needs of each person will be.

√ Plan ways to care for those who might be at greater risk for serious complications. There 

is limited information about who may be at risk for severe complications from COVID-19 illness. 

From the data that are available for COVID-19 patients, and from data for related coronaviruses 

such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, it is possible that older adults and persons who have underlying 

In this guidance

• Before a COVID-19 

outbreak occurs: Plan

• During a COVID-19 

outbreak: Act

• After a COVID-19 outbreak 

has ended: Follow Up

• Readiness Resources

This interim guidance is to help household members plan for community transmission of coronavirus 

disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

encourages household members to prepare for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in 

their community. 

COVID-19 is caused by a new virus. There is much to learn about its transmissibility, severity, and other 

features of the disease. We want to help everyone prepare to respond to this public health threat.
chronic medical conditions may be at risk for more serious complications. Early data suggest older 

people are more likely to have serious COVID-19 illness. If you or your household members are at 

increased risk for COVID-19 complications, please consult with your health care provider for more 

information about monitoring your health for symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. CDC will recommend 

actions to help keep people at high risk for complications healthy if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in 

your community.

√ Get to know your neighbors. Talk with your neighbors about emergency planning. If your 

neighborhood has a website or social media page, consider joining it to maintain access to neighbors, 

information, and resources.

√ Identify aid organizations in your community. Create a list of local organizations that you and your 

household can contact in the event you need access to information, health care services, support, and 

resources. Consider including organizations that provide mental health or counseling services, food, and 

other supplies.

√ Create an emergency contact list. Ensure your household has a current list of emergency contacts 

for family, friends, neighbors, carpool drivers, health care providers, teachers, employers, the local 

public health department, and other community resources.

Practice good personal health habits and plan for home-based actions 

√ Practice everyday preventive actions now. Remind everyone in your household of the importance 

of practicing everyday preventive actions that can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses:

q Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

q Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.

q Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.

q Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily (e.g., tables, countertops, light switches, 

doorknobs, and cabinet handles) using a regular household detergent and water.

• If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent and water prior to disinfection. 

For disinfection, a list of products with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved 

emerging viral pathogens claims, maintained by the American Chemistry Council Center for 

Biocide Chemistries (CBC), is available at Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fighting Products. 

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.

q Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the 

bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water 

are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Always wash your 

hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

√ Choose a room in your home that can be used to separate sick household members from those 

who are healthy. Identify a separate bathroom for the sick person to use, if possible. Plan to clean 

these rooms, as needed, when someone is sick. Learn how to care for someone with COVID-19 at home.

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Be prepared if your child’s school or childcare facility is temporarily dismissed

√ Learn about the emergency operations plan at your child’s school or childcare facility. During 

a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, local public health officials may recommend temporary school 

dismissals to help slow the spread of illness. School authorities also may decide to dismiss a school if 

too many students or staff are absent. Understand the plan for continuing education and social services 

(such as student meal programs) during school dismissals. If your child attends a college or university, 

encourage them to learn about the school’s plan for a COVID-19 outbreak.

Plan for potential changes at your workplace

√ Learn about your employer’s emergency operations plan. Discuss sick-leave policies and telework 

options for workers who are sick or who need to stay home to care for sick household members. Learn 

how businesses and employers can plan for and respond to COVID-19.

During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community: Act

During an outbreak in your community, protect yourself and others by:

√ Staying home from work, school, and all activities when you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms, which 

may include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

√ Keeping away from others who are sick.

√ Limiting close contact with others as much as possible (about 6 feet).

Put your household plan into action

√ Stay informed about the local COVID-19 situation. Get up-to-date information about local 

COVID-19 activity from public health officials. Be aware of temporary school dismissals in your area, as 

this may affect your household’s daily routine.

√ Stay home if you are sick. Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms. If a member of your 

household is sick, stay home from school and work to avoid spreading COVID-19 to others.

q If your children are in the care of others, urge caregivers to watch for COVID-19 symptoms.

√ Continue practicing everyday preventive actions. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and wash 

your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a 

hand sanitizer that contains 60% alcohol. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily using a 

regular household detergent and water.

√ Use the separate room and bathroom you prepared for sick household members (if possible).

Learn how to care for someone with COVID-19 at home. Avoid sharing personal items like food and 

drinks. Provide your sick household member with clean disposable facemasks to wear at home, if 

available, to help prevent spreading COVID-19 to others. Clean the sick room and bathroom, as needed, 

to avoid unnecessary contact with the sick person.

q If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent and water prior to disinfection. For 

disinfection, a list of products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims, maintained 

by the CBC, is available at Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fighting Products. Always follow the 

manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.

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√ Stay in touch with others by phone or email. If you live alone and become sick during a 

COVID-19 outbreak, you may need help. If you have a chronic medical condition and live alone, ask 

family, friends, and health care providers to check on you during an outbreak. Stay in touch with 

family and friends with chronic medical conditions.

√ Take care of the emotional health of your household members. Outbreaks can be stressful for 

adults and children. Children respond differently to stressful situations than adults. Talk with your 

children about the outbreak, try to stay calm, and reassure them that they are safe.

Inform your workplace if you need to change your regular work schedule

√ Notify your workplace as soon as possible if your schedule changes. Ask to work from home or 

take leave if you or someone in your household gets sick with COVID-19 symptoms, or if your child’s 

school is dismissed temporarily.

Take the following steps to help protect your children during an outbreak

√ If your child/children become sick with COVID-19s, notify their childcare facility or school.

Talk with teachers about classroom assignments and activities they can do from home to keep up 

with their schoolwork.

√ Keep track of school dismissals in your community. Read or watch local media sources that 

report school dismissals. If schools are dismissed temporarily, use alternative childcare arrangements, 

if needed.

√ Discourage children and teens from gathering in other public places while school is 

dismissed to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

After a COVID-19 outbreak has ended in your community: Follow Up

Remember, a COVID-19 outbreak could last a long time. The impact on individuals, households, and 

communities might be great. When public health officials determine the outbreak has ended in your 

community, take time to improve your household’s plan. As public health officials continue to plan for 

COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks, you and your household also have an important role to play in 

ongoing planning efforts.

 Evaluate the effectiveness of your household’s plan of action

√ Discuss and note lessons learned. Were your COVID-19 preparedness actions effective at home, 

school, and work? Talk about problems found in your plan and effective solutions. Identify additional 

resources needed for you and your household.

√ Participate in community discussions about emergency planning. Let others know about 

what readiness actions worked for you and your household. Maintain communication lines with your 

community (e.g., social media and email lists). Promote the importance of practicing good personal 

health habits.

√ Continue to practice everyday preventive actions. Stay home when you are sick; cover your 

coughs and sneezes with a tissue; wash your hands often with soap and water; and clean frequently 

touched surfaces and objects daily.

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√ Take care of the emotional health of your household members. Make time to unwind and 

remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to 

news stories about COVID-19. Connect with family and friends. Share your concerns and how you 

are feeling with others.

√ Help your child/children cope after the outbreak. Provide children with opportunities to talk 

about what they went through or what they think about it. Encourage them to share concerns and 

ask questions. Because parents, teachers, and other adults see children in different situations, it is 

important for them to work together to share information about how each child is coping after 

the outbreak.

 COVID-19 Readiness Resources

 Visit www.cdc.gov/COVID19 for the latest information and resources 

 COVID 2019 Situation Summary https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html 

 Prevention and Treatment https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/preventiontreatment.html 

 What to Do If You Are Sick https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.

html

 Pregnant Women and COVID FAQs https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/

pregnancy-faq.html

 Stigma Related to COVID-19 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/related-stigma.

html

 Handwashing: A Family Activity https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/handwashing-family.html 

 Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing

CDC Interim Guidance for Specific Audiences

 Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, 

and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-

ncov/specific-groups/guidance-for-schools.html

 Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 

2019 (COVID-19) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidancebusiness-response.html

CDC Communication Resources 

 Communication Resources https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/index.

html 

 Print Resources https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html 

 Buttons and Badges https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/buttonsbadges.html

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