mteb/FeedbackQARetrieval huggingface dataset:
People with Disabilities
Prepare
There are some additional things people with disabilities can do to prepare
during the COVID-19 outbreak:

Plan what you will do if you or your direct support provider gets sick. Create a contact list of family, friends, neighbors and local service agencies that can provide support in case you or your direct support provider becomes ill or unavailable.
Plan at least two ways of communicating from home and work that can be used rapidly in an emergency (e.g., landline phone, cell phone, text-messaging, email). Write down this information and keep it with you.
Have enough household items and groceries so that you will be comfortable staying home for a few weeks, at least a 30-day supply of over the counter and prescription medicines and any medical equipment or supplies that you might need. Some health plans allow for a 90-day refill on prescription medications. Consider discussing this option with your healthcare provider. Make a photocopy of prescriptions, as this may help in obtaining medications in an emergency situation.
People with Disabilities
About COVID-19

Coronavirus disease is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is also possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. For more information go to CDC’s Fact Sheet- What you need to know about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Risk of infection with COVID-19 is higher for people who are in close contact with someone known to have COVID-19, such as healthcare workers, direct support providers, and household members. Other people at higher risk for infection are those who live or have recently been in an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19.
People Experiencing Homelessness
How people experiencing homelessness can protect themselves
Many of the recommendations to prevent
COVID-19 may be
difficult for a person experiencing homelessness to do. Although it may not be
possible to avoid certain crowded locations (such as shelters), people who are
homeless should:

Try to avoid other crowded public settings and public transportation.
If possible, use take-away options for food.
Maintain a distance of 6 feet (about two arms’ length) from other people.
Wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as often as possible, and cover their coughs and sneezes.
People Experiencing Homelessness
Anyone sick with COVID-19 should stay isolated
Those with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should stay in a place where they
can best be isolated from other people to prevent spreading the infection.
Local health departments, housing authorities, homeless service systems, and
healthcare facilities should plan to identify locations to isolate those with
known or suspected COVID-19 until they meet the criteria to end
isolation.
Isolation housing could be units designated by local authorities or shelters
determined to have capacity to sufficiently isolate these people. If no other
options are available, homeless service providers should plan for how they can
help people isolate themselves while efforts are underway to provide
additional support.
People Experiencing Homelessness
Donations of food and clothing to homeless service providers
Homeless service providers can accept donations of food and clothing
during community spread of COVID-19, but general infection control
precautions should be taken. Request that donors not donate if they are
sick.

Set up donation drop-off points to encourage social distancing between shelter workers and those donating.
Launder donated clothing, sheets, towels, or other fabrics on high heat settings, and disinfect items that are nonporous, such as items made of plastic.
Food donations should be shelf-stable, and shelter staff should take usual food-related infection prevention precautions.
People Experiencing Homelessness
Symptom screening of clients at homeless shelters
Homeless shelters can screen clients for
symptoms of respiratory infections.
Clients who have symptoms may or may not have COVID-19. Make sure they have a
separate place they can safely stay within the shelter or at an alternate site
in coordination with local health authorities. An on-site nurse or other
clinical staff can help with clinical assessments.

Provide anyone who presents with symptoms with a cloth face covering.
Facilitate access to non-urgent medical care as needed.
Use standard facility procedures to determine whether a client needs immediate medical attention. Emergency signs include: 
Trouble breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusion or inability to arouse
Bluish lips or face



Notify the designated medical facility and personnel to transfer clients that
the client might have COVID-19.
People Experiencing Homelessness
Keeping open homeless shelters and encampments
Homeless shelters serve a critical function in our communities. Shelters
should stay open unless homeless service providers, health departments, and
housing authorities have determined together that a shelter needs to close.
Connecting people to stable housing should continue to be a priority.

However, if individual housing options are not available, allow people who are living in encampments to remain where they are.
Encourage people living in encampments to increase space between people and provide hygiene resources.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Cloth face coverings for children, parents, and other caregivers
CDC recommends that everyone 2 years and older wear a cloth face covering that
covers their nose and mouth when they are out in the community. B ecause
of the danger of suffocation, do NOT put cloth face coverings on babies or
children younger than 2 years****. Cloth face coverings should also not be
worn by anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, can’t move, or is
otherwise unable to remove the face covering without assistance.
Parents and other caregivers should keep in mind that wearing a cloth face
covering is not a substitute for social distancing, frequent hand washing, or
other everyday preventive actions – please wear your cloth face covering in
addition to practicing other prevention steps. A cloth face covering is not
intended to protect you, the wearer, but it may prevent you from spreading the
virus to others. This would be especially important if you are infected but do
not have symptoms of COVID-19. Please remember that medical face masks and N95
respirators are reserved for healthcare personnel and other first responders.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Risk of COVID-19 during pregnancy
Based on what we know about COVID-19, we believe pregnant people appear to
have the same risk of COVID-19 as adults who are not pregnant. However, much
remains unknown. We do know that pregnant people have had a higher risk of
severe illness when infected with viruses that are similar to COVID-19, as
well as other viral respiratory infections, such as influenza.
We also know that pregnant people have changes in their bodies that may
increase their risk of some infections. Therefore, if you are pregnant, it is
always important for you to try to protect yourself from illnesses whenever
possible.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Risks to the pregnancy and to the baby
Much is still unknown about the risks of COVID-19 to the pregnancy and to the
baby.

Mother-to-child transmission of COVID-19 during pregnancy is unlikely. However, after birth, a newborn can be infected after being in close contact with an infected person, including the baby’s mother or other caregivers.
A small number of babies have tested positive for the virus shortly after birth, according to limited published reports. However, it is unknown if these babies got the virus before, during, or after birth.
A small number of other problems, such as preterm birth, have been reported in babies born to mothers who tested positive for COVID-19 late in their pregnancy. However, we do not know if these problems were related to the virus.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Prenatal and postpartum care during the COVID-19 pandemic
It is important to take care of yourself and your baby during pregnancy and
after delivery.
Do not skip your prenatal care appointments or postpartum appointments. If
you are concerned about attending your appointment due to COVID-19, talk to
your healthcare provider.

Ask your healthcare provider how they are taking steps to separate healthy patients from those who may be sick.
Some healthcare providers might choose to cancel or postpone some visits. Others may switch certain appointments to telemedicine visits, which are appointments over the phone or video. These decisions will be based on the circumstances in your community as well as your individual care plan.
Call your healthcare provider if you have an urgent medical question.
In case of emergency, call 911 or go to your local emergency department. If you are not driving, call the emergency department on the way to explain that you are pregnant and have an emergency. They should have an infection prevention plan to protect you from getting COVID-19 if you need emergency care. Do not delay getting emergency care because of COVID-19.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Vaccines during pregnancy and the COVID-19 pandemic
Although there is no vaccine available to protect against the virus that
causes COVID-19, routine vaccines are an important part of protecting your
health. Receiving some vaccines during pregnancy, such as the influenza (flu)
and Tdap vaccines, can help protect you and your baby. If you are pregnant,
you should continue to receive your recommended vaccines. Talk with your
healthcare provider about visits for vaccines during pregnancy.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Breastfeeding if you have COVID-19

Breast milk provides protection against many illnesses and is the best source of nutrition for most infants. Learn more about breastfeeding.
You, along with your family and healthcare providers, should decide whether and how to start or continue breastfeeding.
We do not know for sure if mothers with COVID-19 can spread the virus to babies in their breast milk, but the limited data available suggest this is not likely.
If you have COVID-19 and choose to breastfeed: 
Wear a cloth face covering while breastfeeding and wash your hands before each feeding.


If you have COVID-19 and choose to express breast milk: 
Use a dedicated breast pump.
Wear a cloth face covering during expression and wash your hands before touching any pump or bottle parts and before expressing breast milk.
Follow recommendations for proper pump cleaning [Español] after each use, cleaning all parts that come into contact with breast milk.
If possible, expressed breast milk should be fed to the infant by a healthy caregiver who does not have COVID-19, is not at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and is living in the same home.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
COVID-19 and children
There is much more to be learned about how this disease affects children.
While some children and infants have been sick with COVID-19, most illnesses
have been among adults. Some reports suggest that infants under 1 year old and
those with underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk of serious
illness from COVID-19 than other children.

Children with COVID-19 generally have mild, cold-like symptoms, such as fever, runny nose, and cough. Vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported in some children.
Children with certain underlying medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, serious heart conditions, or weak immune systems, might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Call your child’s healthcare provider if you are worried about your child’s health or if your child has symptoms of COVID-19.
In case of emergency, call 911 or go to your local emergency department. Emergency departments have infection prevention plans to protect you and your child from getting COVID-19 if your child needs emergency care. Do not delay getting emergency care for your child because of COVID-19.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Face shields for newborns and infants
Plastic face shields for newborns and infants are NOT recommended. There
are no data supporting the use of infant face shields for protection against
COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses. An infant face shield could increase
the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or
accidental suffocation and strangulation. Infants, including newborns, move
frequently, which could increase the possibility of their nose and mouth
becoming blocked by the plastic face shield or foam components. The baby’s
movement could also cause the face shield to become displaced, resulting in
strangulation from the strap.
Information for how to protect newborns from becoming sick with COVID-19 while
in the hospital can be found in CDC’s Considerations for Inpatient Obstetrics
Healthcare Settings. Additional information on how to protect yourself
and others,
including newborns and infants, from COVID-19 illness is also available.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Safe sleep for infants during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of infants may experience increased
stress and fatigue that could affect their infants’ sleep practices. Safe
sleep is an important part of keeping infants healthy, including during the
COVID-19 pandemic. If you have an infant, you can help reduce your baby’s risk
of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths by doing
the following:

Place your baby on his or her back for all sleep times – naps and at night.
Use a firm, flat sleep surface, such as a mattress in a crib, covered by a fitted sheet.
Have the baby share your room but not your bed. Your baby should not sleep on an adult bed, cot, air mattress, or couch, or on a chair alone, with you, or with anyone else.
Keep soft bedding such as blankets, pillows, bumper pads, and soft toys out of your baby’s sleep area.
Do not cover your baby’s head or allow your baby to get too hot. Signs your baby may be getting too hot include if he or she is sweating or if his or her chest feels hot.
Do not smoke or allow anyone to smoke around your baby.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Well visits and routine vaccine visits for children during the COVID-19
pandemic
Routine well child visits and vaccine visits are still important during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Newborn visits. Ideally, newborn visits should be done in person so that
your pediatric healthcare provider can check your baby’s growth and feeding,
check your baby for jaundice, make sure your baby’s newborn screening tests
were done, and get any repeat or follow-up testing, if necessary. At the
newborn visit, your pediatric healthcare provider will also check how you and
your baby are doing overall. Newborn screening tests include a bloodspot,
hearing test, and test for critical congenital heart
defects. Learn more about newborn
screening tests.
Well child visits. Your pediatric healthcare provider will check your
child’s development at well child visits. You can track your child’s
developmental milestones with CDC’s free Milestone Tracker
app.
Vaccine visits. Vaccines are an important part of keeping your child
healthy, especially if your child is under 2 years old. Vaccines help provide
immunity before being exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases.
Although there is not yet a vaccine to help protect against COVID-19, vaccines
for illnesses such as measles, influenza (flu), whooping cough (pertussis),
and other infectious diseases are important for your child’s health. This will
help to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases among young children
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ask your healthcare provider how they are taking steps to separate healthy
patients from those who may be sick. Some health care providers may choose to
delay visits like well child checks and routine vaccine visits. These
decisions will be based on circumstances in your community and your child’s
individual care plan. Call your provider’s office to ask about any upcoming
appointments or about when your child’s vaccinations are due.
If You Are Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caring for Young Children
Coping with stress
Pandemics can be stressful for everyone. Fear and anxiety about a disease can
be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in both adults and children.
Coping successfully with stress will make you, the people you care about,
and your community stronger.
Talk with your children about the pandemic. It is important to try to stay
calm and to give children information that is truthful and appropriate for
their ages and developmental levels. Children respond differently to
stressful situations than adults. CDC offers resources to help you talk with your children
about COVID-19.
Depression during and after pregnancy is common and can be treated. Postpartum
depression is depression that can happen after having a baby. If you think you
may be experiencing depression, seek treatment from your health care provider
as soon as possible. Find more information on depression during and after
pregnancy.
Pregnant people and parents caring for young children may be experiencing
increased stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC offers resources to help
with Stress and Coping.
What You Can Do
What others can do
Community support
Community preparedness planning for
COVID-19 should include older
adults and people with disabilities , and the organizations that support
them in their communities, to ensure their needs are taken into consideration.
Many of these individuals live in the community, and many depend on services
and supports provided in their homes or in the community to maintain their
health and independence.
Long-term care facilities should be vigilant to prevent the introduction
and spread of COVID-19. See guidance for long-term care
facilities.
Family and caregiver support

Know what medications your loved one is taking and see if you can help them have extra on hand.
Monitor food and other medical supplies (oxygen, incontinence, dialysis, wound care) needed and create a back-up plan.
Stock up on non-perishable food to have on hand in your home to minimize trips to stores.
If you care for a loved one living in a care facility , monitor the situation, ask about the health of the other residents frequently and know the protocol if there is an outbreak.
Learn more about caring for someone sick at home
COVID-19 and Animals
Risk of animals spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to people
Some coronaviruses that infect animals can sometimes be spread to humans and
then spread between people, but this is rare. This is what happened with the
virus that caused the current outbreak of COVID-19. However, we do not know
the exact source of this virus. Public health officials and partners are
working hard to identify the source of COVID-19. The first infections were
linked to a live animal market, but the virus is now spreading from person to
person.
The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through
respiratory droplets from coughing, sneezing, and talking. Recent studies show
that people who are infected but do not have symptoms likely also play a role
in the spread of COVID-19. At this time, there is no evidence that animals
play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Based on
the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading
COVID-19 to people is considered to be low.
COVID-19 and Animals
Risk of people spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to animals
We are still learning about this virus, but we know it is primarily spreading
from person-to-person and it appears that it can spread from people to animals
in some situations.
The first
case in the United States of an animal testing positive for the virus
that causes COVID-19 was a tiger with a respiratory illness at a zoo in New
York City. Samples from this tiger were collected and tested after several
lions and tigers at the zoo showed signs of respiratory illness. Public health
officials believe these large cats became sick after being exposed to a zoo
employee who was infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. This
investigation is ongoing.
CDC is working with human and animal health partners to monitor this situation
and will continue to provide updates as information becomes available. Further
studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be
affected by COVID-19.
For more information, visit CDC’s If You Have
Pets and Healthy Pets,
Healthy People website.
If You Have Pets
Risk of people spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to pets
We are still learning about the virus that causes COVID-19, but it appears
that it can spread from people to animals in some situations.
CDC is aware of a small number of pets, including dogs and cats,
reported to be
infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, mostly after close contact with
people with COVID-19. Only a few of the pets reported to be positive showed
signs of illness.
If You Have Pets
What to do if you own pets
Until we learn more about how this virus affects animals, treat pets as you
would other human family members to protect them from a possible infection.

Do not let pets interact with people or other animals outside the household.
Keep cats indoors when possible to prevent them from interacting with other animals or people.
Walk dogs on a leash, maintaining at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people and animals.
Avoid dog parks or public places where a large number of people and dogs gather.

There is a small number of animals around the world reported to be infected
with the virus that causes COVID-19, mostly after having contact with a person
with COVID-19. Talk to your veterinarian if your pet gets sick or if you have
any concerns about your pet’s health.
If You Have Pets
Protect pets if you are sick
If you are sick with COVID-19 (either suspected or confirmed by a test), you
should restrict contact with your pets and other animals, just like you would
with people. Until we know more about this virus, people sick with COVID-19
should avoid contact with pets and other animals.

When possible, have another member of your household care for your pets while you are sick.
Avoid contact with your pet including, petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food or bedding.
If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wear a cloth face covering and wash your hands before and after you interact with them.

If you are sick with COVID-19 and your pet becomes sick, do not take your
pet to the veterinary clinic yourself. Call your veterinarian and let them
know you have been sick with COVID-19. Some veterinarians may offer
telemedicine consultations or other plans for seeing sick pets. Your
veterinarian can evaluate your pet and determine the next steps for your pet’s
treatment and care.
For more information visit: What to Do if You are
Sick.