Note: This information is based on currently available evidence, resources, information, emergency use authorization, and expert opinion, and is subject to change.
What's New
What's New
Are there new COVID-19 vaccines this year?Yes, the updated 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine will help restore immunity and protect against newer variants.
The 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in protecting against severe illness due to COVID-19 and can reduce the chance of getting Long COVID. More information is available on CDC's COVID-19 vaccine website.
Use VDH’s Vaccine Locator to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.
How can I prevent respiratory viruses?In March, CDC released new respiratory virus guidance for illnessess, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV in non-health care settings. The guidance includes core prevention strategies:
- Staying up to date with vaccination for flu, COVID-19, and RSV, if eligible.
- Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces regularly.
- Taking steps for cleaner air at home and elsewhere.
- When people get sick with a respiratory virus, the guidance recommends that they stay home and away from others until when for at least 24 hours both are true:
- Their symptoms are improving overall AND
- They have not had a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medication(s).
- For people with COVID-19 and influenza, treatment is available, effective in helping to prevent more severe disease, and must be started promptly after diagnosis
Visit VDH’s Precautions When Sick webpage for more information.
Are COVID-19 vaccines still free?For people with Medicare: COVID-19 vaccinations are covered under Medicare Part B without cost sharing, and this will continue.
For people with Medicaid: Medicaid will continue to cover all COVID-19 vaccinations without a co-pay or cost sharing through at least September 30, 2024, in certain healthcare settings.
For people with private health insurance or employer-sponsored health insurance: Most people will continue to pay nothing out-of-pocket for COVID-19 vaccines. People MUST go to a pharmacy or medical provider that is “in-network” with their insurance in order to receive the vaccine at no cost. People are advised to check ahead of time with the vaccine provider they intend to go to, or they can ask their insurance company about what vaccine providers are in network.
For uninsured children: They will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the existing Vaccines for Children Program. This initiative provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of their inability to pay.
For uninsured adults: Virginia’s Vaccines for Adults (VFA) program will provide free COVID-19 vaccines for uninsured and underinsured adults at VFA provider locations.
COVID-19 Basics
COVID-19 Basics
What is COVID-19?COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The virus can be very contagious and spreads mainly by breathing in air that has small droplets and particles that contain the virus. It can also be spread by droplets and particles landing in someone’s eyes, nose, or mouth. Sometimes, the infected person may contaminate surfaces they touch, but this is uncommon. Anyone with COVID-19 can spread the illness, even if they do NOT have symptoms.
For more information on COVID-19, please visit:
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe. Common symptoms (not a complete list) include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Muscle or body aches
- New loss of taste or smell, or an altered sense of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Congestion/runny nose
- Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing)
For more information visit CDC’s Symptoms of COVID-19 webpage.
How do I protect myself and others from COVID-19?There are many strategies to prevent COVID-19:
- Stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines to protect against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Talk to a healthcare provider about which COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for you and your family.
- Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
- Increase ventilation in indoor spaces, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.
- Added precautions can be layered in to prevent getting sick as needed, such as getting tested physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
- If you have COVID-19:
- Stay home, and
- Get treated as soon as possible if you are at high-risk for severe COVID-19.
- Visit VDH’s Precautions When Sick and CDC’s How to Protect Yourself and Others webpage for more information.
What should I do if I test positive for COVID-19?- If you have symptoms, stay home and away from others. You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both of these are true:
- Your symptoms are getting better overall, AND
- You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
- Once you resume normal activities, take added precautions for the next five days.
- If you don’t have symptoms
- You do not need to stay home but might still be contagious and able to spread the virus.
- Take added precautions for the next five days.
- If you start to feel worse or get a fever after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again and follow the steps above.
- If you are at risk for severe illness talk with your healthcare provider right away to see if you are eligible for treatment. Visit VDH’s COVID-19 treatment webpage for more information.
- Visit VDH’s Precautions When Sick webpage for more information.
Who is at highest risk for severe COVID-19?People who are in one or more of the following groups are at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness:
- Older adults (generally aged 50 or older)
- People with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised)
- Pregnant people
- People of any age with certain medical conditions and disabilities
- For more information visit CDC’s page about who is at risk for serious illness
What is the treatment for COVID-19?Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness, and their symptoms can often be managed with over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil).
Prescription medications are available for those at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 that can reduce the chance of being hospitalized or dying from the disease. These treatments must be taken as soon as possible after symptoms start to be effective. If you have COVID-19 and are at risk for the development of severe illness, it is important that you contact your medical provider promptly to see if a prescription medication is appropriate for you. Visit the VDH COVID-19 Treatment Webpage for more information.
Where can I find information on COVID-19 data and trends in my community?
Vaccination
Vaccination
Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine?Everyone aged six months and older is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Some people may need multiple doses. The number of doses a person will receive depends on their age, the brand of vaccine given, previous COVID-19 vaccines received, and if a person has a moderately or severely compromised immune system.
Talk to a healthcare provider about which COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for you and your family.
For more information, visit CDC’s Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines webpage.
Will the COVID-19 vaccines help protect me against variants?Yes, COVID-19 vaccines help protect against serious illness caused by strains of the virus that are currently circulating.
Where can I get vaccinated for COVID-19?Many healthcare providers, pharmacies, and health departments offer COVID-19 vaccination. Visit vaccinate.virginia.gov to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
Where can I find more info about COVID-19 vaccines?
Testing for COVID-19
Testing
When should I get tested for COVID-19?- If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you should be tested immediately.
- If you get a negative with an at-home (over the counter) test, it is best to test again after 48 hours. You can also take a PCR test (through a health care provider) as soon as you can.
- If you were exposed to COVID-19 and do not have symptoms, wait at least 5 full days after your exposure before getting tested. If you test too early, you may be more likely to get an inaccurate (false-negative) result.
- Consider testing before you have contact with someone at risk for severe COVID-19.
- For more information, please see CDC When to Get Tested for COVID-19.
Where can I get tested for COVID-19?Many healthcare providers, pharmacies, and health departments offer COVID-19 testing. You can also test yourself using a self-test (over-the counter or at-home test). Use the websites below to find a testing location near you and for information about self-testing.
Where can I get more information on COVID-19 testing?- If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you should be tested immediately.
Treatment
Treatment
Who should get drug treatment for COVID-19?People who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are symptomatic, and are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 should talk with their medical provider right away about the possibility of treatment. People in the increased risk category include:
- People aged 50 years or older
- People who are immunocompromised or have a weakened immune system
- People with underlying health conditions that increase their risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness.
Treatment is most effective when taken within five days of when your symptoms start. It is important to contact your healthcare provider as soon as your symptoms start.
Visit VDH’s COVID-19 Treatment webpage for more information.
What are the treatments for COVID-19?Visit the VDH COVID-19 Treatment webpage to see treatments that are currently available. Currently, there are three antiviral medications for the treatment of COVID-19 in outpatients:
How much does treatment cost?The cost of treatment will depend on your insurance coverage. Check with your plan for costs.
There are patient assistance programs to help lower out-of-pocket costs for treatment, whether you have insurance or not:
Where can I get a medical evaluation and treatment for COVID-19?If you have symptoms that you believe may be COVID-19, it is very important that you test yourself or get tested promptly. Many COVID-19 tests that you can perform yourself are available for purchase over-the-counter at pharmacies. Or you can seek medical help as described below.
- Call a healthcare provider to see if they can evaluate you promptly and prescribe treatment for COVID-19, if needed. If they don’t provide this service, there are other medical sites where you can be evaluated, including the following:
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- Community Health Centers (CHCs) or Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Virginia locator tool
- Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics locator tool
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Test to Treat sites – People can also call 800-232-0233 (TTY 888-720-7489) for more information about this program. Help is provided in more than 150 languages. The call center is open Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
- An urgent care center
- Contact your local health department to see if they can assist you in finding a medical provider.
Long COVID
Long COVID
What is Long COVID?Long COVID is also known as post-COVID conditions (PCC), post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), and other terms. Long COVID consists of a variety of symptoms that can last for weeks, months, or years after being infected with the SARS-CoV-2, virus that causes COVID-19.
Long COVID can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19, even if their illness was mild, or even if they had no symptoms when they were infected. People with long COVID may report combinations of different symptoms. Please note that the list below is not an all-inclusive list of symptoms that have been reported by patients with Long COVID.
- Tiredness or fatigue
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)
- Headache
- Loss of smell or taste (or an altered sense of taste or smell)
- Dizziness upon standing
- Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Cough
- Joint or muscle pain
- Depression or anxiety
- Fever
Certain groups of people are at increased risk of developing Long COVID after having COVID-19. They include:
- People who had severe COVID-19 illness such as those who needed to be hospitalized
- People with underlying health conditions such as obesity, asthma, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases
- People who did not receive a COVID-19 vaccine
For more information on Long COVID:
How can Long COVID be prevented?Take measures to protect yourself from COVID-19 infection:
- At this time, it appears that the most effective preventive measure against Long COVID is to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, to help protect against getting COVID-19.
- Vaccination has been shown to help prevent severe COVID-19 illness. People with severe COVID-19 disease are at increased risk of developing Long COVID.
- CDC notes that COVID-19 immunizations can reduce a person’s chance of developing Long COVID by about 30%.
- Take other measures to help prevent contracting COVID-19 infection:
- This includes improving ventilation, avoiding contact with people with COVID-19, and following recommendations when you're sick with COVID-19.
- If you get COVID-19, get treatment right away if eligible. This can help prevent severe COVID-19 illness, which can increase the risk of Long COVID.
How can Long COVID be treated?Although many possible Long COVID treatments are being studied, no specific drug, vaccine, or other treatment has been shown to “cure” Long COVID. Moreover, there is no drug that is currently FDA-authorized or FDA-approved for the treatment of Long COVID.
However, as noted by CDC, “people experiencing post-COVID conditions can seek care from a healthcare provider to come up with a personal medical management plan that can help improve their symptoms and quality of life.” Additional information can be found on CDC’s Long COVID Basics website.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently enrolling people to participate in clinical trials that will evaluate potential treatments for Long COVID through the RECOVER Initiative. People 18 years of age and older who are interested in learning more about these trials can visit www.recovercovid.org.
How can I get support for COVID-19?Long COVID can be diagnosed and managed by primary care providers or other medical providers who specialize in diagnosing/treating this condition. If needed, specialty care providers and support services (for example, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work) can work with people with this condition to help them rehabilitate and regain their strength and abilities.
Use CDC’s Healthcare Appointment Checklist for Long COVID to help prepare for your Long COVID appointment.
If you need support in accessing care for Long COVID, you can request support from VDH Care Resource Coordination.
Additional resources for Long COVID patients include:
Community Locations
K-12 Schools
What factors should schools consider when developing guidance around use of nebulizers in school settings in the setting of COVID-19 transmission?There is a lack of expert consensus and guidance on whether a nebulizer treatment constitutes an aerosol generating procedure in the setting of COVID-19. It is uncertain whether aerosols generated from nebulizer treatments are infectious and may contribute to the transmission of COVID-19. Given this uncertainty, school may consider reserving the use of nebulizers to instances where children cannot use inhalers, do not have access to an inhaler, or for children who are in significant respiratory distress while awaiting emergency transport. Instead, metered dose inhalers (MDIs) with spacers (with or without a face mask, according to each student’s individualized treatment plan) may be used instead of nebulizer treatments whenever possible in the school setting.
If a nebulizer treatment is necessary, schools may, out of an abundance of caution, consider treating it as an aerosol generating procedure. Schools may consider the following factors when determining the policies (including personal protective equipment required by staff) around nebulizer use: 1) the uncertainty about whether nebulizer treatments may general infectious aerosols, 2) the ability to assess if the student has suspected/confirmed COVID-19 infection, 3) level of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the community, considering both local and school-based COVID-19 trends. For additional resources, please refer to the CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic
What can schools do to protect vulnerable students and employees from COVID-19?People with certain medical conditions are more likely to get very sick with COVID-19. These individuals and/or their parents should discuss school attendance with their healthcare provider. Parents should provide the school with a healthcare provider’s documentation of the child’s healthcare needs and treatment protocols. This includes a healthcare provider authorization and parental consent to administer medication or treatments to students. Families are encouraged to meet with school staff, including teachers, school nurses, and administrators, to discuss safety measures and establish/update a Section 504 plan. Please discuss any concern you may have with your local school division.
Schools may consider providing remote learning exceptions and teleworking options for students and staff diagnosed with COVID-19 or who are at high risk of severe illness (as defined by the CDC). Please discuss any concerns you may have with your healthcare provider and local school division.
Where can I find more information for K12 and childcare settings?Healthcare Settings
What are COVID-19 masking recommendations for healthcare settings?Recommendations for how and when to use masks or other face coverings for source control are outlined in CDC’s Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.
Source control is recommended for individuals in healthcare settings who:
- Have suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection or other respiratory infection (e.g., those with runny nose, cough, sneeze); or
- Had close contact (patients and visitors) or a higher-risk exposure (HCP) with someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection, for 10 days after their exposure.
Source control is recommended more broadly in the following circumstances:
- By those residing or working on a unit or area of the facility experiencing a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak; universal use of source control could be discontinued as a mitigation measure once no new cases have been identified for 14 days; or
- Facility-wide or, based on a facility risk assessment, targeted toward higher risk areas or higher risk patient populations during periods of higher levels of community SARS-CoV-2 or other respiratory virus transmission; or
- Have otherwise had source control recommended by public health authorities.
Individuals might also choose to continue using source control based on personal preference.
Note that CDC defines healthcare settings as “places where healthcare is delivered and includes, but is not limited to, acute care facilities, long-term acute care facilities, nursing homes, home healthcare, vehicles where healthcare is delivered (e.g., mobile clinics), and outpatient facilities, such as dialysis centers, physician offices, dental offices, and others.” A laboratory that only processes samples but does not have patient interactions would not be considered a healthcare setting. Additional considerations for determining when healthcare IPC recommendations apply to long-term care settings (excluding nursing homes) are outlined in the Long-Term Care section below.
More guidance on protection from COVID-19 by masks or other face coverings can be found on the CDC mask website.
What resources are available for work restrictions and the quarantine of healthcare providers?CDC’s Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 – This guidance describes conventional strategies, when a facility is not being impacted by staffing shortages due to COVID-19, for return to the workplace for healthcare personnel (HCP) with SARS-CoV-2 infection or higher-risk exposures. In general, CDC and VDH recommend facilities follow conventional strategies, the safest practice, when determining return to work criteria for healthcare personnel with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
CDC’s Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel Staffing Shortages - This guidance describes contingency and crisis capacity strategies. If a facility is expecting or experiencing staffing shortages due to COVID-19 despite implementing recommendations from conventional strategies (e.g. employee COVID-19 vaccine, understanding staffing patterns/needs, communication with local healthcare coalitions and public health partners to identify backup HCP, etc.), this guidance outlines mitigation strategies a healthcare facility can consider.
Which local metrics can provide insight to determine when broader use of source control in a healthcare facility might be warranted?Healthcare facilities should consider performing a risk assessment to determine their infection prevention and control recommendations, including when broader use of source control or universal use of personal protective equipment (e.g., eye protection for all patient care encounters) in the facility might be warranted.
Some factors to be considered are available local data metrics, including VDH emergency department visits for COVID-like illness, and facility-level information (e.g., recent transmission inside the facility, the population’s risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19, and facility characteristics that could accelerate spread) to determine when to add and remove prevention strategies.
Facilities could also follow trends of several respiratory viruses using VDH’s weekly influenza activity report or CDC’s RESP-NET interactive dashboard regional or national respiratory virus incidence. For more information, visit updated CDC COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control guidance.
Long-Term Care Facilities
Are nursing homes recommended to continue daily monitoring of residents for signs/symptoms of COVID-19?All healthcare facilities, including nursing homes, should have a mechanism in place to promptly identify if a patient/resident or staff member has signs/symptoms of any communicable disease. The mechanism and frequency of monitoring asymptomatic individuals is at the discretion of the facility.
Are LTCFs required to notify anyone if they are operating under crisis staffing standards?If using crisis staffing standards that may jeopardize the health, safety, and well-being of residents of the facility, then nursing facilities licensed by the VDH Office of Licensure and Certification (OLC) and assisted living facilities licensed by the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) are required to notify their licensing entity (the OLC or the DSS regional licensing office, respectively) of the conditions and status of the residents and the physical plant as soon as possible.
How do CDC COVID-19 healthcare infection prevention and control recommendations apply to assisted living facilities?In general, assisted living facilities whose staff provide non-skilled personal care (e.g., bathing, dressing) similar to what is provided by family members in the home should follow CDC respiratory virus guidance for community settings.
However, assisted living facilities that directly provide healthcare-related services or whose residents receive contracted healthcare services should follow CDC healthcare IPC guidance.
The Virginia Department of Social Services provides additional guidance for assisted living facilities and adult day care centers regarding implementation of CDC respiratory virus guidance in a memo issued on March 7, 2024.
How does my long-term care facility (LTCF) obtain the most recent COVID-19 vaccine?LTCFs are recommended to use their regular facility-pharmacy operations to acquire the COVID-19 vaccine for their residents and/or staff.
If your LTCF does not have a contracted pharmacy partner, the facility is encouraged to enroll as a vaccine provider to be able to order and administer vaccines to staff and residents. For more information, visit the VDH Provider Enrollment Process Flow & Checklist.
If enrolling as a vaccine provider is not an option, you can consider identifying a local pharmacy to contract with.
LTCFs may also submit an off-site clinic request with pharmacies who may be able to assist facilities with their vaccination needs. For more information, visit the CDC pharmacy partner contact information page.
If you require further assistance in coordinating COVID-19 vaccines for your facility, please contact COVIDPharmacySupport@vdh.virginia.gov.
How do I encourage my LTCF staff to get vaccinated?Patient education about the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on the VDH website. These resources can be used to help educate LTCF residents and staff who remain vaccine hesitant.
Who is responsible for reporting possible vaccine-related adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Report System (VAERS), the LTCF or the pharmacy who administered the vaccine?If the adverse event occurs while the pharmacy team is on site, then they will report the adverse event to VAERS. If it occurs after the pharmacy team has left, then the facility should report the event to VAERS. Both the pharmacy and the LTCF can report adverse events to VAERS; there is no penalty for double reporting in the VAERS system. Information about how to report to VAERS can be found on their website. FAQs about VAERS reporting are also available.
- VAERS accepts reports from anyone. Patients, parents, caregivers and healthcare providers are encouraged to report adverse events after vaccination to VAERS even if it is not clear that the vaccine caused the adverse event.
- Healthcare providers are required by law to report to VAERS:
- Any adverse event listed in the VAERS Table of Reportable Events Following Vaccination that occurs within the specified time period after vaccination
- An adverse event listed by the vaccine manufacturer as a contraindication to further doses of the vaccine
- Healthcare providers are strongly encouraged to report:
- Any adverse event that occurs after the administration of a vaccine licensed in the United States, whether or not it is clear that a vaccine caused the adverse event
- Vaccine administration errors
- Vaccine manufacturers are required to report to VAERS all adverse events that come to their attention.
Additionally, the vaccine emergency use authorization fact sheet shared with vaccinated individuals contains information about post-vaccination adverse event reporting.