COVID-19 Positive Results Education

Your COVID-19 test is Positive: What does it mean?

Today your test is positive which means that you have the COVID-19 virus and are at risk of transmitting the virus to someone who comes in close contact with you.

What is considered a “CLOSE CONTACT”?

You were within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. It does not matter if you were wearing a mask and or a face shield.
You had unprotected contact with body fluids and/or secretions from someone with COVID-19. For example, you were coughed or sneezed on, you shared a drinking cup or eating utensils, you kissed, or you provided care to them without wearing the right protective equipment.

What is my risk of transmitting Covid-19 to a close contact?

A person with positive COVID-19 results with symptoms can infect others from 2 days before their symptoms first started until they are allowed to end their home isolation on day 10. A person with a positive COVID-19 test who does not have symptoms is considered to be infectious from 2 days before their test was taken until 10 days after their test.

Do I need to quarantine?

Yes, you need to quarantine for at least 10 days and up to 14 days if your fever or other symptoms do not resolve in 10 days. You do not need to retest to be cleared to go out of quarantine or to go back to work. It is not recommended for you to retest for Covid-19 if you have been tested and had a positive test in the past 90 days.

You can come out of your quarantine if at least 10 days have passed since your symptoms started AND at least 24 hours have passed with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine AND other symptoms are improving. Loss of taste and smell might last for weeks or months after recovery but shouldn't delay ending isolation.

COVID-19: What symptoms can I have?

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

At-home treatment

Most people who become sick with COVID-19 will only experience mild illness and can recover at home. Symptoms might last a few days, and people who have the virus might feel better in about a week. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms and includes rest, fluid intake and pain relievers.

It's also important to consider how caring for a sick person might affect your health. If you are older or have an existing chronic medical condition, such as heart or lung disease or diabetes, you may be at higher risk of serious illness with COVID-19. You might consider isolating yourself from the sick person and finding another person to provide care.

Emergency warning signs

Carefully monitor yourself or your loved one for worsening symptoms. If symptoms appear to be getting worse, call the doctor.

If you or the person with COVID-19 experiences emergency warning signs, medical attention is needed immediately. Call 911 or your local emergency number if the sick person can't be woken up or you notice any emergency signs, including:

Trouble breathing
Persistent chest pain or pressure
New confusion
Bluish lips or face
Inability to stay awake

Protecting others if you're ill

If you're ill with COVID-19, you can help prevent the spread of infection with the COVID-19 virus.

Stay home from work, school and public areas unless it's to get medical care.
Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing services or taxis.
Stay isolated in one room, away from your family and other people, as much as possible. This includes eating in your room. Open windows to keep air circulating. Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
Avoid shared space in your home as much as possible. When using shared spaces, limit your movements. Keep your kitchen and other shared spaces well ventilated. Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from your family members.
Clean often-touched surfaces in your separate room and bathroom, such as doorknobs, light switches, electronics and counters, every day.
Avoid sharing personal household items, such as dishes, towels, bedding and electronics.
Wear a face mask when near others. Change the face mask each day.
If wearing a face mask isn't possible, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing. Afterward, throw away the tissue or wash the handkerchief.
Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Protecting yourself while caring for someone with COVID-19

To protect yourself while caring for someone with COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend:

Keep your hands clean and away from your face. Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after being in close contact or in the same room as the sick person. If soap and water aren't available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Consider wearing a face mask. If you need to be in the same room with the person who is ill and he or she isn't able to wear a face mask, wear a face mask. Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) away from the ill person. Don't touch or handle your mask while you are using it. If your mask gets wet or dirty, replace it with a clean, dry mask. Throw away the used mask and wash your hands.
Clean your home frequently. Every day, use household cleaning sprays or wipes to clean surfaces that are often touched, including counters, tabletops and doorknobs. Avoid cleaning the sick person's separate room and bathroom. Set aside bedding and utensils for the sick person only to use.
Be careful with laundry. Don't shake dirty laundry. Use regular detergent to wash the sick person's laundry. Use the warmest setting you can. Wash your hands after putting clothes in the dryer. Thoroughly dry clothes. If you are handling clothing that has been soiled by the sick person, wear disposable gloves and keep the items away from your body. Wash your hands after removing the gloves. Place dirty gloves and masks in a waste bin with a lid in the sick person's room. Clean and disinfect clothes hampers and wash your hands afterward.
Be careful with dishes. Wear gloves when handling dishes, cups or utensils used by the sick person. Wash the items with soap and hot water or in the dishwasher. Clean your hands after taking off the gloves or handling used items.
Avoid direct contact with the sick person's bodily fluids. Wear disposable gloves and a face mask when providing oral and respiratory care and when handling stool, urine or other waste. Wash your hands before and after removing your gloves and mask. Don't reuse your mask or gloves.
Avoid having unnecessary visitors in your home. Don't allow visitors until the sick person has completely recovered and has no signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Ending isolation or quarantine

Talk to the doctor about when to end home isolation, especially if you have a weakened immune system. The CDC recommends the following guidelines for ending home isolation after you think or know you had COVID-19.

You do not need to retest to be cleared to go out of quarantine. It is not recommended for you to retest for covid-19 if you have been tested and had a positive test in the past 90 days. You can leave your sick room or home if at least 10 days have passed since your symptoms started, at least 24 hours have passed with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine and other symptoms are improving. Loss of taste and smell might last for weeks or months after recovery but shouldn't delay ending isolation.

The CDC also recommends that, as the sick person's caregiver, you quarantine for 14 days and watch for common signs and symptoms, such as fever, cough or shortness of breath. Other options may include ending quarantine after 10 days if you don't have symptoms and won't get tested OR ending quarantine after 7 days if you receive a PCR COVID-19 negative test result. However, continue to watch for symptoms for 14 days.

Are There Medicines for Coronavirus?

According to the CDC and WHO, there are NO over the counter medicines right now to treat or cure the COVID-19 virus. Please don't believe in any products that claim to prevent or treat the coronavirus at this time. Additionally, antibiotics only treat bacteria, so they are not effective in treating the COVID-19 virus.

If you are generally healthy, your body is likely to feel better after a few days and be totally recovered in about a week from the novel coronavirus. However, you may still be contagious for another week or so, which is why there is a 10-14-day quarantine recommended for anyone who gets the coronavirus.* (Source)

How Can I Treat Coronavirus Symptoms?

The main symptoms of the novel coronavirus are fever, cough and shortness of breath.
For a Fever
Take a fever reducer. If you choose to or if your fever is very high, you can take a fever reducer. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is what is usually recommended. While ibuprofen is also a fever reducer, there is some concern that it may not be safe to take with the novel coronavirus. More research needs to be done to know for sure.
Stay hydrated. Fevers usually cause sweating, which means loss of water from your body. Drink lots of fluids (preferably water or juice and not soda or high sugar beverages that might make you thirstier). Caffeinated beverages are not recommended.
Rest. Your body needs energy to fight the virus. Just rest up and let your body do its job.

For a Cough
Sip on drinks throughout the day. Not only will this keep your throat moist and comfortable, it will help keep you hydrated. Drink warm beverages, like tea or broth. These heat up the airways, keep you hydrated and break up any mucus you might have in your throat and upper airway.
Try a teaspoon of honey in hot tea or hot water. A little bit of honey tends to soothe a sore throat. However, children under 1 year old should not try honey.
Breathe in steam. Use a hot shower, humidifier, vaporizer or other means of making steam. It will soothe a sore throat and open your airways, making it easier to breathe.
Gargle salt water. While it is not scientifically proven to help, many people swear that salt water helps their sore throat. There is no harm in trying, and it might help you. Use 1 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water. Make sure you spit it out and disinfect the sink afterward.
Eat a frozen treat. The coldness may help numb the pain and soothe your throat if it is sore from coughing.
Suck on cough drops, lozenges or hard candy. These will keep your mouth and throat moist.
Try cough medicine. If you have a wet cough with lots of mucus, you want to take an expectorant (Mucinex or Guaifenesin) to help get the mucus out. If you have a dry cough, a cough suppressant is what you want (Dextromethorphan or Nyquil or Robitussin) . Make sure you choose the right one.
For pain, try Acetaminophen. Sometimes a lot of coughing can be painful. A pain reliever can take the edge off.

Vital signs to monitor:

Temperature should be around 98.7 (if you can buy a thermometer, mouth or ear is fine)

Oxygen Saturation normal range is 96-100%( if you can buy an oxygen saturation meter). If the oxygen saturation drops below 94% with symptoms of shortness of breath seek medical attention immediately.

How to protect yourself and others from Covid-19 infection

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
Avoid close contact. Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members. Outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household. Always avoid gatherings outside your immediate family that lives with you.
Always wear a mask or face covering. Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others. Masks help prevent you from getting or spreading the virus. Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household.
Always test if you have symptoms of COVID-19: Fever or chills, Cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Headache, New loss of taste or smell, Sore throat, Congestion or runny nose, Nausea or vomiting or Diarrhea.
Always isolate for 10 days if you think you have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
Always think of others who are vulnerable from dying due to COVID-19 infection if you expose them.