Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19

What is COVID-19 and how do I avoid getting it — while also protecting my family?

The North Marion School District is offering clarifying details on COVID-19, referencing web pages from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our national public health agency, and Oregon Health Authority (OHA), a state agency dedicated to working to keep Oregonians healthy. Live links source each piece of information.

What is COVID-19?

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a new coronavirus discovered in 2019.

How is it spread?

The virus spreads in three key ways:

• Breathing in air when close to an infected person who is exhaling small droplets and particles that contain the virus.
• Having these small droplets and particles that contain the virus land on the eyes, nose, or mouth, especially through splashes and sprays like a cough or sneeze.
• Touching eyes, nose, or mouth with hands that have the virus on them.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. 

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Some people who are infected may not have symptoms, but for people who have symptoms, illness can range from mild to severe. People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. The CDC will continue to update this list as the agency learns more about COVID-19. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at a higher risk of developing more serious complications from COVID-19.

Who is most at risk of getting COVID-19?

• Those who are at the greatest risk of infection are people who have had prolonged, unprotected close contact (within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer) with someone who had COVID-19, regardless of whether the patient has symptoms. 
• People who are often in congregate settings (homeless shelters, assisted living facilities, schools) are at increased risk of acquiring infection because of the increased likelihood of close contact.

What are the ways to protect yourself?

The best way to avoid getting the virus is to avoid being exposed to it.

• Get vaccinated.
• Wear a mask.
• Practice social distancing.
• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water.

If children are less likely to get sick from COVID-19, why should they wear masks or get vaccinated?

Because of the highly transmissible nature of this variant, along with the extent of mixing of vaccinated and unvaccinated people in schools, the fact that children age 12 or older are not currently eligible for vaccination, and low levels of vaccination among youth ages 12-17, CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all students (age 2 years and older), teachers, staff, and visitors to K-12 schools regardless of vaccination status. This protects everyone at a school, including children, and also prevents everyone from becoming sick and passing it on to others who may be more medically vulnerable.

What are the vaccines?

There are three authorized vaccines, which have all received emergency approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

• Pfizer-BioNTech (approved for ages 12 and older): two shots
• Moderna (approved for ages 18 and older): two shots
• Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (approved for ages 18 and older): one shot

How and where can you get vaccinated?

Find resources for vaccination on getvaccinated.oregon.gov or call 211. Learn more on the Oregon Health Authority website.

How were the vaccines created so quickly?

Scientists have developed vaccines for coronaviruses before for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The knowledge gained through past research on coronavirus vaccines helped to accelerate the initial development of the current COVID-19 vaccines.

How do vaccines work? 

Unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases, vaccines prevent them. That’s what makes them so powerful. 

• J&J: The Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) vaccine is called a vector vaccine. First, note that coronaviruses, like the one that causes COVID-19, are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface, called spike proteins. These spike proteins are ideal targets for vaccines. A viral vector vaccine uses a harmless version of a different virus, called a “vector,” to deliver information to the body that helps it protect you. The vaccine teaches your body how to make copies of the spike proteins. If you are exposed to the real virus later, your body will recognize it and know how to fight it off.
• Pfizer and Moderna: The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are a little different. They are mRNA vaccines, a new type of vaccine to protect against infectious diseases. To trigger an immune response, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies. Not mRNA vaccines. Instead, they teach our cells how to make a protein — or even just a piece of a protein — that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies.

Is there a live virus in the vaccines?

No. The COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. do NOT contain a live virus. mRNA and viral vector vaccines are the two types of currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines available. These vaccines do not give you COVID. They do not alter your DNA. Get the facts from the CDC.

Learn more about mRNA and​ viral vector COVID-19 vaccines.

Is it really safer to congregate outdoors?

Not exactly. It’s true that if you want to spend time with people who don’t live with you, outdoors is the safer choice! You are less likely to be exposed to COVID-19 during outdoor activities, even without the use of masks.

However, to truly avoid any risk outdoors:

• Stay at least 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with you.
• Limit your time around others.

Are hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine effective treatments against COVID-19?

Evidence is insufficient to support treatment of COVID-19 with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and guidance from the National Institutes of Health recommends against its use.

How is COVID-19 different from the flu?

COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu. Also, compared to flu, COVID-19 can cause more serious illnesses in some people. COVID-19 can also take longer before people show symptoms and people can be contagious for longer. More information about differences between flu and COVID-19 is available in the different sections below.