What do I if I have tested positive, or believe I may be positive for COVID-19?
Regardless of your vaccination status, isolate from others when you have COVID-19. You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results. If your results are positive, follow the full isolation recommendations below. If your results are negative, you can end your isolation.
If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least five days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first five days. You should also inform anyone that you believe may have been in close contact with you during this time. More information on determining who is a close contact is provided below.
If you test positive and have no symptoms:
- You may end isolation after day five.
- Day zero of isolation is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result).
- Day one is the first full day following the day you were tested.
- If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, your clock restarts and day zero is now defined as the day your symptoms began.
If you test positive and have symptoms:
- Day zero of isolation is the day of your symptoms began, regardless of when you tested positive.
- Day one is the first full day after the day your symptoms started.
- You may end isolation after day five if:
- You are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication)
- Your symptoms are improving
- If you still have a fever or your other symptoms have not improved after day five, continue to isolate until they improve.
- If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe, or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance.
When leaving isolation, continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others for an additional five days.
Who is considered a close contact?
A person is considered a close contact in all indoor and outdoor settings if they were less than six feet away from someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. This is true regardless of whether or not the person was wearing a mask. You should consider the time period spent with someone with COVID-19 as starting two days before the infected person developed symptoms, or if they did not have symptoms, from the date they were tested until they started isolation. Please see the CDC’s website for more information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/risks-exposure.html
Anyone identified as a close contact should wear a mask for 10 days from the last date of contact with a positive person and get tested on day five. During that time, monitor your symptoms and stay home if you are ill, even with mild symptoms.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html
Information used on this page is based on CDC guidelines available on their website HERE
