Northwest Arkansas COVID-19 Update

Arkansas has had more than 100,000 cases of COVID-19. 18% of those cases are located in Benton and Washington Counties.

This is not the time to let down your guard. As you make decisions about work, school, and the upcoming holidays, make sure you and your family stay safe. 

Smart choices

Stay home when you can. When you’re out and about with other people, be sure to practice social distancing and also to wear a mask. Wash your hands often, try not to touch your face, and clean surfaces in your home and workplace.

The same precautions that have been recommended since the beginning of the pandemic are still needed now. As you make plans for work and school, travel, and the upcoming holidays, make sure your plans include these simple steps to reduce infection.

Indoor gatherings

As the temperature drops, we will be tempted to have more indoor gatherings. Before hosting or attending an indoor gathering, consider these factors: 

• Community levels of COVID-19: If the levels are high, the risk is high. 
• Number of attendees: How many people will be at the gathering? 
• Behavior of the other attendees: Will they practice the same social distance precautions that you do? Do they practice the same prevention methods as you prior to the event? Both of these factors affect your risk of contracting the virus. 
• Location of the gathering: How well ventilated is the space? Will the doors and windows be open? Ventilation has been proven to reduce the rate of infection. 
• Length of the gathering: the longer you are together with others, the higher the risk of a virus spreading. 

Before you attend an indoor gathering, check out this helpful graphic on how the coronavirus spreads in the air.

For more information, visit the CDC page on gatherings. 

Testing criteria

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should be tested for the virus. Symptoms of coronavirus:

• 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

If you have no symptoms but have had significant contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19, you should be tested and quarantine. Significant contact means that you spent 15 minutes or more minutes less than six feet from COVID-19 individual.

Testing at MANA clinics