I Tested Positive for COVID-19, Now What?
A Short List of Steps to Start Recovery and Slow the Spread
Medically reviewed by Josephine Hessert, DO
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
Takeaway
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.
After a Positive COVID-19 Test, Follow These Steps
Here are some steps to take if you find out you have COVID-19.
Call Your Healthcare Provider
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:
Older than 50 years, with risk increasing with age
Unvaccinated or not up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations
Living with certain medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system
Start Treatments If Necessary
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.
Go Home and Start Recovering
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:
Get lots of rest.
Drink lots of non-caffeinated, nonalcoholic fluids, such as water, herbal tea, and soup.
If you have a fever:
Continue to rest and drink fluids.
Use over-the-counter medications for fever, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen), if warranted.
If you have a cough:
Try to lie on your side or sit upright instead of lying on your back.
Try eating a teaspoon of honey (do not give honey to babies under 12 months old).
Contact your pharmacist about other cough treatments that may help.
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:
Keeping your room cool by turning down the heat or opening a window (don't use a fan as this can spread the virus)
Staying calm
Sitting upright in a chair, relaxing your shoulders, making sure not to hunch over
Leaning slightly forward, supporting yourself by putting your hands on something stable, such as your knees or a chair
Pulling your lips together like you are gently blowing out a candle, then breathe slowly in through your nose, and out through your mouth
Isolate From Others Outside Your Home
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:
Stay home from school or work (if you feel up to it, you can work from home, but inform your employer you are contagious and cannot attend in person)
Try to have food and other essentials dropped off outside your door, such as a grocery delivery service, or with help from friends and family
If delivery is not an option, try to arrange for curbside pickup (wearing a mask), or another method that allows you to avoid contact with others
If you want to exercise, do so outdoors, away from others
Avoid going anywhere that is not essential, particularly indoor places, public transit, and gatherings
Inform anyone who wants or needs to come to your home that you have tested positive for COVID-19
Ask your healthcare provider if a telehealth visit is possible or appropriate, instead of going in person
Isolate From Others Inside Your Home
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:
Improve ventilation in your home according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which offers some tips for how to do this.
Try to stay 6 feet or more away from others.
If you can't isolate completely from others in your home, wear a good-quality, well-fitting mask.
Keep windows in shared rooms open while you are in them and at least 10 minutes after you leave.
Wash your hands well and often, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or if that is not possible, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw it away immediately, and wash or disinfect your hands.
Avoid sharing personal items, such as bedding, dishes, utensils, and towels.
Clean and disinfect surfaces regularly, especially ones that are touched often (like doorknobs, counters, light switches, phones, computers, remote controls, and tabletops), using household cleaning sprays and wipes according to the label instructions. The CDC offers tips on how to clean your home.
Have a person who does not have COVID-19 care for your animals (or if not possible, wash your hands before and after feeding or having contact with them).
If you must share a bathroom:
Put the toilet lid down before flushing.
Turn on the fan or open the window.
Clean and disinfect handles and faucets after use.
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.
Wear a Mask
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:
Fits snugly over your nose, mouth, and chin
Provides high protection (well-fitting, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, specialized filtering masks such as N95s can provide higher protection, depending on the type of mask and how it is used. Loosely woven cloth masks provide the least protection)
Meets international standards
Is NIOSH-approved
Does not have a valve
You can wear consistently
For more detailed information on choosing a mask, check the CDC's guide on types of masks.
Watch for Serious Symptoms
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:
Trouble breathing, including breathing that has gotten worse, being unable to say short sentences while resting, and, in babies and young children, showing signs of their stomach sucking in under ribs
Sudden or persistent pain or pressure in the chest
Loss of consciousness, inability to wake, or inability to stay awake
New confusion
Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds (depending on skin tone)
Fever over 102 degrees F (38.9 degrees C)
Unable to drink
Coughing up blood
Seizure
Rash that doesn't fade when you roll a clear glass over it (similar to with meningitis)
Feeling very unwell or getting worse
This is not a complete list. Seek medical attention for any symptoms that are concerning you.
Follow Steps for Ending Isolation
How Isolation Days Are Counted
If you have had no symptoms:
Day 0 is the day you were tested
Day 1 is the first full following the day you were tested
If you develop symptoms within 10 days of being tested, the days restart, with day 0 being the day of symptom onset
If you have had symptoms:
Day 0 is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive
Day 1 is the first full day after the day you started having 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:
If you had no symptoms, you can end isolation after day 5.
If you had symptoms and they are improving, you can end isolation after day 5 if you are free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
If you had symptoms and they are not improving, continue to isolate past day five until you are fever-free (without medications) for 24 hours and your symptoms are improving.
If you had symptoms and had moderate illness (shortness of breath or difficulty breathing), you need to isolate through day 10.
However, if you had symptoms and severe illness (you were hospitalized) or you have a weakened immune system:
You need to isolate through day 10.
Consult your healthcare provider before ending isolation.
You may need a viral test before ending isolation.
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:
Wear a high-quality mask around others and indoors.
Avoid places you can't mask.
Avoid being around those at risk of serious illness if they contract COVID-19.
These are general guidelines. Always follow the advice of your healthcare provider.
Get Vaccinated
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.
Is It Possible to Get a False Positive on a Covid-19 Test?
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.
Communicating With Others About Being COVID-19 Positive
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:
Care for at home
Have shared direct physical contact with (like kissing or hugging)
Have spent time with at school, work, or social gatherings
Have shared eating or drinking utensils, or other personal items, with
Have sneezed on or coughed on
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.
What to Avoid While COVID-19 Positive
The main thing to avoid while COVID-19-positive is putting others at risk.
Avoid:
Going to work or school
Going to public places like stores, places of worship, public transit, and more
Traveling
Going places you can't wear a mask (like a restaurant, gym, or pool)
Engaging in activities around others that don't allow you to wear a mask (such as eating or sleeping)
Being around those at high risk for COVID-19 (individuals and places such as long-term care facilities)
Having visitors to your home
Going to appointments that are not essential (reschedule or meet virtually)
Anything else that could put others at risk of catching COVID-19 from you
Steps to Take for Long COVID Symptoms
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:
Medications
Physical therapy
Respiratory therapy
Cognitive care
Mental health support
Talk to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing problems after a COVID-19 infection.
Summary
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.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
