Steps to Take if You Test Positive for COVID-19 (2024)

FAQs

Steps to Take if You Test Positive for COVID-19? ›

If you or your child have tested positive for COVID-19: try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day the test was taken if you or your child are under 18 years old – children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.

If you or your child have tested positive for COVID-19: try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day the test was taken if you or your child are under 18 years old – children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.

People with COVID-19 are often contagious for 5-10 days after their illness begins. People with flu may be contagious for up to 5-7 days after their illness begins. People with RSV are usually contagious for 3-8 days after their illness begins.

You must continue to follow strict mask-wearing and do not eat, travel, or socialize with others through day 10. If your day 5 test result remains positive, you must continue to isolate and can retest on day 7.

If you have a wet cough with lots of mucus, you want to take an expectorant to help get the mucus out. If you have a dry cough, a cough suppressant is what you want. Make sure you choose the right one. For pain, try acetaminophen.

Can I go out if I have COVID? ›

If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you are advised to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.

As a general rule, most people who get COVID-19 are no longer contagious 10 days after the appearance of symptoms or after testing positive for the virus.3 While there is significant variation in the risk of transmission, most cases follow the same general timeline once symptoms develop.

Antibodies and other viruses

Another reason an exposed person may test negative is that vaccination or prior infection has created antibodies. In these cases, when someone is exposed to the virus, those antibodies are activated and rapidly clear the virus before they become infected or symptomatic.

If you're wondering what to eat with COVID, many whole foods—like fruits and whole grains—and dairy products can contain nutrients beneficial to immune system functioning while you're sick. Other foods and drinks, such as sweets and sodas, can be less helpful.

The average recovery time for those who have mild or normal cases of COVID-19 or flu is between one and two weeks. If you have COVID-19, the CDC recommends isolation from others until your symptoms are getting better and you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home. You can treat symptoms with over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to help feel better.

Get COVID-19 antiviral medicines

Some people who are at a very high risk of developing serious illness, and who have tested positive, are eligible for free antivirals to treat COVID-19. You may also be eligible if you have symptoms, and have had close contact with someone who has tested positive.

People who test positive for COVID-19 should follow CDC guidance for preventing spread of respiratory viruses when sick People with a respiratory virus should stay away from others until at least 24 hours after both symptoms are improving overall and they have not had a fever without the use of fever-reducing ...