The Postal Service is sharing new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about COVID-19 symptoms.
According to CDC, infected individuals have reported a wide range of symptoms, and some infected individuals have not had any symptoms.
COVID-19 symptoms may appear within 2-14 days after exposure to the virus and may include one or more of the following:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
CDC advises seeking medical attention immediately if you have trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to awaken, or bluish lips or face.
In addition, CDC has updated its online FAQs regarding COVID-19 and the mail.
According to CDC, there is still a lot that is unknown about how COVID-19 spreads. Coronaviruses are thought to be spread primarily through airborne respiratory droplets resulting from a sneeze, cough or ordinary speech.
Although the virus can survive for a short period of time on some surfaces, both CDC and Surgeon General Jerome Adams have indicated that it is unlikely to be spread from domestic or international mail, products or packaging.
It may be possible that people can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.
However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. According to CDC, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed.
Postal Service employees should continue to follow preventative measures such as wearing cloth face coverings, performing proper handwashing and maintaining social distancing whenever possible while on delivery routes, at retail counters and within USPS workplaces.
The Postal Service distributed a stand-up talk last week with the updated information. The organization will continue to provide updated safety guidance and recommendations to ensure employees and customers are informed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Employees can also refer to the COVID-19 Blue and LiteBlue pages for additional updates.
