What to do After an at Home Test

If your COVID-19 test is POSITIVE:

  • Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, should isolate at home for at least 5 days from symptom onset.
  • If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house.  
  • Continue to wear a mask around others for an additional 5 days.
  • If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves
  • If you cannot wear a mask around others, stay home and isolate for 10 days 

How do I isolate at home?

  • Stay home. DO NOT go to work, school or public areas. Seperate yourself from people and animals in your home.
  • As much as possible, you shoulc stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home.
  • If possible, you should use a seperate bathroom.
  • Do not share personal household items like dishes, drinking glasses, eating utensils, towels or bedding. After using these items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. 
  • Postpone all non-esstential medical appointments until you are out of isolation 
  • Wash your hands often and practice good hygiene. Clean high touch surfaces every day. 

If your COVID-19 at home test is NEGATIVE:

  • If you have no symptoms, you most likely do not have COVID-19 at this time.
  • If you have symptoms, you should get a PCR test or an antigen test in a supervised setting to confirm that you are negative before returning to work or school.
  • You could have been exposed to COVID-19 at some point and not enough time has passed for the test to pick it up. You may test positive at a later date.
  • You need to continue to practice protective measures to help keep yourself and others from getting sick.

See a doctor right away if you have emergency warning signs 

Emergency warning signs include:
  • Struggling to breathe
  • Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.
  • Constant chest pain or pressure
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded all the time
  • Acting confused
  • Difficult to wake up 
  • Slurred speech (new or getting worse)
  • New seizure or seizures that won't stop
* This list does not include all emergency warning signs. Call your doctor if you have other severe symptoms. Call 911 for any medical emergencies. 

If you test positive, notify your close contacts 

IF THEY: 
  • Have been boosted, OR
  • Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 5 months, OR
  • Completed primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months 
*If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home		THEN THEY SHOULD:
  • Wear a mask around others for 10 days from last exposure.
  • Test on day 5 from last exposure, if possible.
IF THEY:
  • Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 5 months ago and have not been boosted, OR
  • Completed primary series of J&J vaccine over 2 months ago and have not been boosted, OR
  • Are unvaccinated 
* If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home		THEN THEY SHOULD:
  • Stay home for 5 days from last exposure. After that, continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
  • If you can't quarantine, you must wear a mask for 10 days after last exposure.
  • Test on day 5 from last exposure if possible.