What to do when you test positive for COVID-19 can depend on factors such as your symptoms and your risk of complications. Anyone who has COVID-19, even if they test positive but don't have symptoms, can spread the illness to others. Protecting others with measures such as isolation and masking is very important.
This article will discuss steps to follow after testing positive for COVID-19, communicating with others about being positive, what to avoid while positive, and steps to take for long COVID-19 symptoms.
d3sign / Getty Images
It's important to note that while this article will discuss what to do after testing positive for COVID-19, it is possible to have COVID-19 and test negative, particularly on home tests and/or early on in the infection. If you have symptoms, have been exposed to COVID-19, or have reason to believe you might have it, follow the proper protocols even if you get a negative result.
Here are some steps to take if you find out you have COVID-19.
Call your healthcare provider and let them know you have tested positive for COVID-19. They can let you know, based on your health history and symptoms, if they need to see you, or if further actions are needed.
Treatments work best when started early. So, call your healthcare provider even if you are feeling OK if you have underlying health conditions and symptoms that your healthcare provider may feel warrant treatments.
Risks are higher in people who are:
If your healthcare provider has determined you would benefit from antiviral treatment, they may prescribe a medication such as:
Follow your healthcare provider's instructions carefully, and inform them of any other medications or supplements you take.
Unless otherwise specified by your healthcare provider, home is typically the best place to be when you have COVID-10.
General recovery steps to take include:
If you have a fever:
If you have a cough:
If you are feeling breathless:
First, determine if you need medical attention. Difficulty breathing can be serious. If you think you need medical attention, or you aren't sure, talk to a healthcare provider, get emergency treatment, or call 911 or your local emergency number.
If you are feeling breathless and do not need medical attention, you can try measures such as:
Isolate from others, whether you have symptoms or not. Do not leave your home unless you absolutely need to, such as for a medical visit. Steps to take include:
If you live with others, try to isolate alone in a room, and if there is more than one bathroom, keep one for only you to use.
Take measures such as:
If you must share a bathroom:
If you are living in a shared space (such as a dorm room in college or university), or you are living with a vulnerable person (such as someone who is immunocompromised, pregnant, or an older adult), it may be best to relocate while you are isolating, if possible.
If you live alone, try to have someone check in with you regularly (virtually or from a safe distance) to make sure you are doing okay.
If you must be around others, whether at home or in public, wear a high-quality mask.
Even if you have ended isolation, you should continue wearing a mask through day 10, or with two sequential negative tests 48 hours apart. If your antigen test results are positive, you may need to continue wearing a mask past day 10 as you could still be contagious. Continue testing every 48 hours until you get two negatives 48 hours apart.
Choose a mask that:
For more detailed information on choosing a mask, check the CDC's guide on types of masks.
While some people have a higher risk, anyone can have severe COVID-19 symptoms.
In some cases, COVID-19 can signal a medical emergency.
Call 911, or your local emergency number, or seek emergency medical treatment if you, your child, or someone else is showing emergency COVID-19 signs such as:
This is not a complete list. Seek medical attention for any symptoms that are concerning you.
How Isolation Days Are Counted
If you have had no symptoms:
If you have had symptoms:
How Long to Isolate
If you test positive for COVID, whether or not you had symptoms, you need to isolate from others for at least five days, as you are likely most infectious during these five days.
When you can end isolation depends on the severity of your symptoms, as follows:
However, if you had symptoms and severe illness (you were hospitalized) or you have a weakened immune system:
If you aren't sure about the severity of your symptoms or when you can end isolation, talk to your healthcare provider.
If your symptoms worsen or recur after you end isolation, start your isolation again at day 0.
No matter when you end isolation, until at least day 11:
These are general guidelines. Always follow the advice of your healthcare provider.
It's still important to get vaccinated and stay updated with boosters, even if you have had COVID-19. It's typically recommended to wait about 90 days after recovering from COVID-19 to get the vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider about when to resume your COVID-19 vaccination schedule.
Positive results for COVID-19 on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and on antigen (rapid) tests are very accurate and reliable.
Occasionally, some tests, particularly PCRs, may continue to show a positive test result for some time (up to 90 days), which can make it difficult to know if a new infection has occurred after a previous infection.
Negative tests, especially antigen tests, are less reliable. If you are going to take a single test, get a PCR test as it can give a more reliable negative result. If you get a negative antigen test result, that alone does not rule out having COVID-19. If you get a negative antigen test result, it's recommended you take another one in 48 hours (and a third one 48 hours after that if you don't have symptoms) to confirm a negative result.
If you test positive for COVID, it is important to inform your close contacts so they can monitor themselves and take precautions.
A close contact is someone who you have been around for at least 15 cumulative (added together) minutes within 24 hours.
You are considered contagious from two days before your symptoms started until 10 days after they started. If you have no symptoms, your contagious period is considered to be two days before your test sample was collected until 10 days after your test sample was collected.
Notify any close contacts you had during this time, as well as people whom you:
Let them know they need to follow guidelines for what to do if you have been exposed to COVID-19.
You should also call ahead if you need to be somewhere, such as a healthcare appointment, so they can prepare for you.
The main thing to avoid while COVID-19-positive is putting others at risk.
Avoid:
Long COVID broadly refers to signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after having an acute COVID-19 infection. It can have a range of health problems and is not one single illness.
There is no test for long COVID, a diagnosis is considered based on health history (including prior COVID-19 infection), and health examination. Symptoms can last weeks, months, or years, and may go away and come back.
There is no single treatment for long COVID. Treatments and therapies depend on symptoms, overall health, and more. A range of specialists may be included in your care, such as pulmonary specialists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and neurologists.
Examples of treatments that may be recommended include:
Talk to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing problems after a COVID-19 infection.
Most people will recover from COVID-19 with rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medication. Visit an emergency room or urgent care if you feel significantly ill. When sick, take steps to protect others, such as masking, hand washing, and social distancing.
Steps to take after receiving a positive COVID-19 test include calling your healthcare provider, starting treatments if necessary, staying home and recovering, isolating from others, wearing a mask, following steps for ending isolation, and getting vaccinated after an appropriate time has passed.
It is important to let anyone who may have been exposed know so they can take precautions.
There is no single treatment alone for long COVID, but rather treatment plans are based on individual needs.
See the rest here:
What to Do First If You Test Positive for COVID-19 - Verywell Health
- The Health Department website was attacked in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic - Vox.com [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Defining Coronavirus Symptoms: From Mild To Moderate To Severe : Goats and Soda - NPR [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- What Are the Symptoms of a Coronavirus Infection? - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Hotels Were Rolling Out Tools to Help Calm Travelers. Then Coronavirus Hit. - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- The Coronavirus, by the Numbers - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Opinion: Early Coronavirus Testing Failures Will Cost Lives - NPR [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Cases Surge in U.S. and Europe - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Two Emergency Room Doctors Are in Critical Condition With Coronavirus - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Coronavirus: Over 1000 Cases Now In U.S., And 'It's Going To Get Worse,' Fauci Says - NPR [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- China Spins Tale That the U.S. Army Started the Coronavirus Epidemic - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Everything to Know About the Coronavirus in the United States - The Cut [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Coronavirus closed this school. The kids have special needs: 'You can't Netflix them all day.' - USA TODAY [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- How Long Can The Coronavirus Live On Surfaces? : Shots - Health News - NPR [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Cost to Businesses and Workers: It Has All Gone to Hell - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- In the U.S., More Than 300 Coronavirus Cases Are Confirmed - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- How Jair Bolsonaro's Son, Eduardo, Confirmed His Father's Positive Coronavirus Test to Fox News, Then Lied About It - The Intercept [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- De Blasio Resisted on Coronavirus. Then Aides Said Theyd Quit. - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Trump Is Tested for Coronavirus, and Experts Ask: What Took So Long? - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Live Coronavirus Updates and Coverage - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Threatens Americans With Underlying Conditions - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Capitalism and How to Beat It - The Intercept [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- An essential reading guide to understand the coronavirus - Vox.com [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- N.Y.C.s Economy Could be Ravaged by Coronavirus Outbreak - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- 'A ticking time bomb': Scientists worry about coronavirus spread in Africa - Science Magazine [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- How coronavirus is affecting the restaurant business, in one chart - Vox.com [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Map: How To Track Coronavirus Spread Across The Globe - Forbes [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Testing Website Goes Live and Quickly Hits Capacity - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Map: How Many Cases Of Coronavirus Are There In Each US State? : Shots - Health News - NPR [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- Live Coronavirus Updates and Coverage Globally - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2020]
- This Is How the Coronavirus Will Destroy the Economy - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Every Star and Public Figure Diagnosed with COVID-19: A Running List - The Daily Beast [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Coronavirus: What you need to know - Fox News [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Travel updates: which countries have coronavirus restrictions and FCO warnings in place? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Staff angered as Charter prohibits working from home despite spread of coronavirus - TechCrunch [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- If coronavirus scares you, read this to take control over your health anxiety - The Guardian [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- San Francisco and Bay Area will shelter in place to slow coronavirus spread - The Verge [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Coronavirus spreading fastest in UK in London - The Guardian [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Businesses Face a New Coronavirus Threat: Shrinking Access to Credit - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Welcome to Marriage During the Coronavirus - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Sweeping restrictions take effect in coronavirus response as health officials warn US is at a tipping point - CNN [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- How Long Will the Coronavirus Outbreak and Shutdown Last? - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- 201920 coronavirus pandemic - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Coronavirus - World Health Organization [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- What Is Coronavirus? | HowStuffWorks [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Coronavirus | CISA [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Is there a cure for the new coronavirus? - Livescience.com [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Shelter in Place: Some Residents in Bay Area Ordered to Stay Home - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Tracking the Impact of the Coronavirus on the U.S. - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- 8 Things Parents Should Know About The Coronavirus: Life Kit - NPR [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Spain, on Lockdown, Weighs Liberties Against Containing Coronavirus - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- New Yorks Nightlife Shuttered to Curb Coronavirus - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- How best to fight the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic - The Guardian [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Heres whos most at risk from the novel coronavirus - The Verge [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Closing Down the Schools Over Coronavirus - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- The U.S. Economy Cant Withstand the Coronavirus by Itself - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- U.S. Lags in Coronavirus Testing After Slow Response to Outbreak - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- U.K. Steps Up Coronavirus Prevention, But Its Hospitals Have Already Been Strained - NPR [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Coronavirus panic is clearing out grocery stores; heres how workers are handling it - Vox.com [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Tracking the Coronavirus: How Crowded Asian Cities Tackled an Epidemic - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Treatment: Hundreds of Scientists Scramble to Find One - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Coronavirus cases have dropped sharply in South Korea. What's the secret to its success? - Science Magazine [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2020]
- Facebook was marking legitimate news articles about the coronavirus as spam due to a software bug - The Verge [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- The Single Most Important Lesson From the 1918 Influenza - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- How to Protect Older People From the Coronavirus - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Is Killing Iranians. So Are Trump's Brutal Sanctions. - The Intercept [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Is there a cure for coronavirus? Why Covid-19 is so hard to treat - Vox.com [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Coronavirus: The math behind why we need social distancing, starting right now - Vox.com [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Europeans Erect Borders Against Coronavirus, but the Enemy Is Already Within - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Some of the last people on earth to hear about the coronavirus pandemic are going to be told on live TV - CNN [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Why the US is still struggling to test for the coronavirus - The Verge [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- The Coronavirus Is Here to Stay, So What Happens Next? - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Coronavirus in the U.S. - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Watch the Footprint of Coronavirus Spread Across Countries - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2020]
- Why the Covid-19 coronavirus is worse than the flu, in one chart - Vox.com [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2020]
- Fact-Checking 5 Trump Administration Claims On The Coronavirus Pandemic - NPR [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2020]
- Trump has scoreboard obsession. It hasnt worked with coronavirus - POLITICO [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2020]
- Here's What Is In The 'Families First' Coronavirus Aid Package Trump Approved - NPR [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2020]
- Young Adults Come to Grips With Coronavirus Health Risks - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2020]
- Which Country Has Flattened the Curve for the Coronavirus? - The New York Times [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2020]