mteb/FeedbackQARetrieval huggingface dataset:
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Animals
Is hunter-harvested game meat safe to eat during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Currently, there is no evidence that you can get infected with the virus that
causes COVID-19 by eating food, including wild hunted game meat. However,
hunters can get infected with other diseases when processing or eating game.
Hunters should always practice good hygiene when processing animals by
following these food safety recommendations:

Do not harvest animals that appear sick or are found dead.
Keep game meat clean and cool the meat down as soon as possible after harvesting the animal.
Avoid cutting through the backbone and spinal tissues and do not eat the brains of any wild animal.
When handling and cleaning game: 
Wear rubber or disposable gloves.
Do not eat, drink, or smoke.


When finished handling and cleaning game: 
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Clean knives, equipment, and surfaces that were in contact with game meat with soap and water and then disinfect them. While these recommendations apply to general food safety practices, if you are concerned about COVID-19, you may use a product on the EPA list of disinfectants for use against the COVID-19 virusexternal icon.


Cook all game meat thoroughly (to an internal temperature of 165°F or higher).
Check with your state wildlife agency regarding any testing requirements for other diseases and for any specific instructions regarding preparing, transporting, and consuming game meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Preparing Your Home and Family for COVID-19
How can I prepare in case my child’s school, child care facility, or university is dismissed?
Talk to the school or
facility about their emergency operations plan.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Symptoms & Testing
What kind of test is being used to diagnose if I have COVID-19?
There are actually many tests being used to diagnose COVID-19 that the U.S.
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized for use during the current
emergency. All of these viral tests identify the virus in samples from the
respiratory system, such as from nasal or nasopharyngeal swabs. Some tests are
conducted at the testing site you visit, and results are available to you
within minutes. Other tests must be sent to a laboratory to analyze, a process
that takes 1-2 days once the lab receives your samples. Two tests allow you to
collect your own sample at home – either a nasal swabexternal
icon or a
saliva sampleexternal icon – but you will still need to send the
sample to a lab for processing.
Locations and types of testing sites vary depending on where you live (see
question: Where can I get tested). Check with your testing site to learn which
test it uses. You can find a patient information sheet about each test on the
FDA websiteexternal icon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cleaning and Disinfection
Is it safe to vacuum in a school, business, or community facility after someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 has been present?
The risk of transmitting or spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes
COVID-19, during vacuuming is unknown. At this time, there are no reported
cases of COVID-19 associated with vacuuming. If vacuuming is necessary or
required in a school, business, or community facility that was used by a
person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, first follow the CDC
recommendations for Cleaning and Disinfection for Community
Facilities that apply, which includes a wait time of 24
hours, or as long as practical.
After cleaning and disinfection, the following recommendations may help reduce
the risk to workers and other individuals when vacuuming:

Consider removing smaller rugs or carpets from the area completely, so there is less that needs to be vacuumed.
Use a vacuum equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, if available.
Do not vacuum a room or space that has people in it. Wait until the room or space is empty to vacuum, such as at night, for common spaces, or during the day for private rooms.
Consider temporarily turning off room fans and the central HVAC system that services the room or space, so that particles that escape from vacuuming will not circulate throughout the facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Preparing Your Home and Family for COVID-19
What cleaning products should I use to protect against COVID-19?
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as tables, doorknobs,
light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets,
faucets, and sinks. If surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap
and water prior to disinfection. To disinfect, most common EPA-registered
household disinfectants will work. See CDC’s recommendations for household
cleaning and disinfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Case of an Outbreak in Your Community
What should I do if there is an outbreak in my community?
During an outbreak, stay calm and put your preparedness plan to work. Follow
the steps below:
Protect yourself and
others.

Stay home if you are sick. Keep away from people who are sick. Limit 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. Be aware of temporary school dismissals in your area, as this may affect your household’s daily routine.


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.

Notify your workplace as soon as possible if your regular work 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. Learn how businesses and employers can plan for and respond to COVID-19.
Stay in touch with others by phone or email. 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, especially those at increased risk of developing severe illness, such as older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Funerals
What should I do if my family member died from COVID-19 while overseas?
When a US citizen dies outside the United States, the deceased person’s next
of kin or legal representative should notify US consular officials at the
Department of State. Consular personnel are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, to provide assistance to US citizens for overseas emergencies. If a
family member, domestic partner, or legal representative is in a different
country from the deceased person, he or she should call the Department of
State’s Office of Overseas Citizens Services in Washington, DC, from 8 am to 5
pm Eastern time, Monday through Friday, at 888-407-4747 (toll-free) or
202-501-4444. For emergency assistance after working hours or on weekends and
holidays, call the Department of State switchboard at 202-647-4000 and ask to
speak with the Overseas Citizens Services duty officer. In addition, the US
embassyexternal iconexternal iconexternal icon
closest to or in the country where the US citizen died can provide assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Protect Yourself
Should contact lens wearers take special precautions to prevent COVID-19?

Currently there is no evidence to suggest contact lens wearers are more at risk for acquiring COVID-19 than eyeglass wearers.
Contact lens wearers should continue to practice safe contact lens wear and care hygiene habits to help prevent against transmission of any contact lens-related infections, such as always washing hands with soap and water before handling lenses.
People who are healthy can continue to wear and care for their contact lenses as prescribed by their eye care professional.

Find more information about how coronavirus
spreads
and how to protect
yourself.
Visit CDC’s contact lens
website for more information on
healthy contact lens wear and care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Basics
What is a novel coronavirus?
A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously
identified. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is not the
same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among
humans and cause mild illness,
like the common cold.
A diagnosis with coronavirus 229E, NL63, OC43, or HKU1 is not the same as a
COVID-19 diagnosis. Patients with COVID-19 will be evaluated and cared for
differently than patients with common coronavirus diagnosis.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Animals
Can bats in United States get the virus that causes COVID-19, and can they spread it back to people?
Other coronaviruses have been found in North American bats in the past, but
there is currently no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 is present
in any free-living wildlife in the United States, including bats. In general,
coronaviruses do not cause illness or death in bats, but we don’t yet know if
this new coronavirus would make North American species of bats sick. Bats are
an important part of natural ecosystems, and their populations are already
declining in the United States. Bat populations could be further threatened by
the disease itself or by harm inflicted on bats resulting from a misconception
that bats are spreading COVID-19. However, there is no evidence that bats in
the United States are a source of the virus that causes COVID-19 for people.
Further studies are needed to understand if and how bats could be affected by
COVID-19.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Animals
What animals can get COVID-19?
We don’t know for sure which animals can be infected with the virus that
causes COVID-19. 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. A tiger at a zoo in New York
has also tested positive for the virus.
Recent research shows that ferrets, cats, and golden Syrian hamsters can be
experimentally infected with the virus and can spread the infection to other
animals of the same species in laboratory settings. Pigs, chickens, and ducks
did not become infected or spread the infection based on results from these
studies. Data from one study suggested dogs are not as likely to become
infected with the virus as cats and ferrets. These findings were based on a
small number of animals, and do not show whether animals can spread infection
to people.
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. Further studies are needed to understand if and how
different animals could be affected by the virus that causes COVID-19 and the
role animals may play in the spread of COVID-19.
Frequently Asked Questions
Symptoms & Testing
What are the symptoms and complications that COVID-19 can cause?
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from
mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after
exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fever
Chills
Muscle pain
Sore throat
New loss of taste or smell

Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally
have mild illness.
This list is not all inclusive. Other less common symptoms have been reported,
including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Read about COVID-19 Symptoms.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Children
Are the symptoms of COVID-19 different in children than in adults?
No. The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in children and adults. However,
children with confirmed COVID-19 have generally presented with mild symptoms.
Reported symptoms in children include cold-like symptoms, such as fever, runny
nose, and cough. Vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported. It’s not known
yet whether some children may be at higher risk for severe illness, for
example, children with underlying medical conditions and special healthcare
needs. There is much more to be learned about how the disease impacts
children.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Children
What steps should parents take to protect children during a community outbreak?
This is a new virus and we are still learning about it, but so far, there does
not seem to be a lot of illness in children. Most illness, including serious
illness, is happening in adults of working age and older adults. However,
children do get the virus and become ill. Many schools across the country have
announced dismissals for temporary periods. 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.
If your child/children become sick with COVID-19, 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How COVID-19 Spreads
Can someone who has been quarantined for COVID-19 spread the illness to others?
Quarantine means separating a person or group of people who have been exposed
to a contagious disease but have not developed illness (symptoms) from others
who have not been exposed, in order to prevent the possible spread of that
disease. Quarantine is usually established for the incubation period of the
communicable disease, which is the span of time during which people have
developed illness after exposure. For COVID-19, the period of quarantine is 14
days from the last date of exposure because the incubation period for this
virus is 2 to 14 days. Someone who has been released from COVID-19 quarantine
is not considered a risk for spreading the virus to others because they have
not developed illness during the incubation period.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Water
Should wastewater workers take extra precautions to protect themselves from the virus that causes COVID-19?
Recently, the virus that causes COVID-19 has been found in untreated
wastewater. While data are limited, there is no information to date that
anyone has become sick with COVID-19 because of exposure to wastewater.
Standard practices associated with wastewater treatment plant operations
should be sufficient to protect wastewater workers from the virus that causes
COVID-19. These standard practices can include engineering and administrative
controls, hygiene precautions, specific safe work practices, and personal
protective equipment
(PPE)
normally required when handling untreated wastewater. No additional
COVID-19–specific protections are recommended for workers involved in
wastewater management, including those at wastewater treatment facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Basics
Why is the disease being called coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19?
On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization
announced an
official name for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus
outbreak, first identified in Wuhan China. The new name of this disease is
coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands
for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease
was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV”.
There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause
mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused be a
novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans. The
name of this disease was selected following the World Health Organization
(WHO) best practiceexternal iconexternal
icon
for naming of new human infectious diseases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cleaning and Disinfection
How effective are alternative disinfection methods, such as ultrasonic waves, high intensity UV radiation, and LED blue light?
The efficacy of these disinfection methods against the virus that causes
COVID-19 is not known. EPA only recommends use of the surface disinfectants
identified on List Nexternal icon against the virus
that causes COVID-19. EPA does not routinely review the safety or efficacy of
pesticidal devices, such as UV lights, LED lights, or ultrasonic devices.
Therefore, EPA cannot confirm whether, or under what circumstances, such
products might be effective against the spread of COVID-19.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Water
Can the COVID-19 virus spread through sewerage systems?
The virus that causes COVID-19 has been found in untreated wastewater.
Researchers do not know whether this virus can cause disease if a person is
exposed to untreated wastewater or sewerage systems. There is no evidence to
date that this has occurred. At this time, the risk of transmission of the
virus that causes COVID-19 through properly designed and maintained sewerage
systems is thought to be low.
Frequently Asked Questions
How COVID-19 Spreads
What is the source of the virus?
COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses are a
large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species
of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal
coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people. This occurred
with MERS-CoV and SARS-
CoV, and now with the virus that causes COVID-19. The SARS-
CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of
these viruses have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are
similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single,
recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir. However, the exact
source of this virus is unknown.
More information about the source and spread of COVID-19 is available on the
Situation Summary: Source and Spread of the
Virus.
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID-19 and Children
What is multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and who is at risk?
CDC is working with state and local health departments to investigate reports
of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with
COVID-19 and gather more information as quickly as possible about how common
it is and who is at risk. As new information becomes available, we will
continue to provide information for parents and caregivers as well as
healthcare and public health professionals. MIS-C has been described as
inflammation (swelling) across multiple body systems, potentially including
the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal organs.
Signs and symptoms of MIS-C include fever and various symptoms such as
abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, and feeling tired.
If your child has any of these symptoms, other symptoms of
COVID-19, or other
concerning signs, contact your pediatrician. If your child is showing any
emergency warning signs including trouble breathing, persistent pain or
pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, bluish
lips or face, severe abdominal pain, or other concerning signs, seek
emergency care right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
How COVID-19 Spreads
How does the virus spread?
The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to
person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person
coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people
who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Spread is more likely
when people are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community
(“community spread”) in many affected geographic
areas. Community spread means people have been infected with the
virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became
infected.
Learn what is known about the spread of newly emerged
coronaviruses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cleaning and Disinfection
Should outdoor playgrounds, like those at schools or in parks, be cleaned and disinfected to prevent COVID-19?
Outdoor areas generally require normal routine cleaning and do not require
disinfection. Spraying disinfectant on outdoor playgrounds is not an efficient
use of disinfectant supplies and has not been proven to reduce the risk of
COVID-19 to the public. You should maintain existing cleaning and hygiene
practices for outdoor areas. If practical, high touch surfaces made of plastic
or metal, such as grab bars and railings, should be cleaned routinely.
Cleaning and disinfection of wooden surfaces (e.g., play structures, benches,
tables) or groundcovers (e.g., mulch, sand) is not recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
School Dismissals and Children
While school’s out, how can I keep my family healthy?

Watch your child for any signs of illness.
If you see any sign of illness consistent with symptoms of COVID-19, particularly fever, cough, or shortness of breath, call your healthcare provider and keep your child at home and away from others as much as possible. Follow CDC’s guidance on “What to do if you are sick.”


Watch for signs of stress in your child.
Some common changes to watch for include excessive worry or sadness, unhealthy eating or sleeping habits, and difficulty with attention and concentration. For more information, see the “For Parents” section on CDC’s website, Manage Anxiety and Stress.
Take time to talk with your child or teen about the COVID-19 outbreak. Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that your child or teen can understand.
Go to CDC’s Helping Children Cope with Emergencies or Talking with Children About COVID-19 for more information.


Teach and reinforceeveryday preventive actions .
Parents and caretakers play an important role in teaching children to wash their hands. Explain that hand washing can keep them healthy and stop the virus from spreading to others.
Be a good role model—if you wash your hands often, they’re more likely to do the same.
Make handwashing a family activity.


Help your child stay active.
Encourage your child to play outdoors—it’s great for physical and mental health. Take a walk with your child or go on a bike ride.
Use indoor activity breaks (stretch breaks, dance breaks) throughout the day to help your child stay healthy and focused.


Help your child stay socially connected.
Reach out to friends and family via phone or video chats.
Write cards or letters to family members they may not be able to visit.
Some schools and non-profits, such as the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learningexternal iconexternal icon and The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligenceexternal iconexternal icon, have resources for social and emotional learning. Check to see if your school has tips and guidelines to help support social and emotional needs of your child.