Are you confused about the CDC’s updated COVID-19 guidelines?.
If you test positive for COVID-19, then you need to stay home and isolate away from others for 5 days. If possible, use a separate bathroom and don’t share personal household items such as cups, towels, and utensils. If at the end of those 5 days, you are feeling better and are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, then you may come out of isolation but need to wear a mask for 5 days when around others at home or in the public OR you may do 2 sequential negative antigen tests 48 hours apart. (If your antigen test results are positive, you may still be infectious and should continue to wear a mask and wait at least 48 hours before taking another test. Continue taking antigen tests at last 48 hours apart until you have 2 negative sequential negative results. This may mean you need to continue wearing a mask and testing beyond day 10).
If you were exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you do not need to quarantine however, you do need to monitor for COVID-like symptoms and if you develop illness, test.
Each of us has a responsibility to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and they are simple things that can make a difference.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm/elbow
- Clean your hands frequently with soap and water
- Contain germs by staying home when ill
Symptoms of the COVID-19 in people who have been exposed can include fever, cough, sore throat, headache and shortness of breath. We are also seeing people experiencing an upset stomach, nausea and diarrhea. Each person’s symptoms are very different and so it is very important to pay attention to your body and note any changes. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.