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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: As experts learn more about the novel coronavirus, news and information changes. For the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on, you may feel a sense of dread start to creep in at the first sign of a scratchy throat or stuffy nose. Did you catch one of the new variants? After getting a COVID-19 vaccine and booster, many cases of coronavirus are mild, and can even feel like a cold or sinus infection. If you’re wondering, “What should I do if I think I have COVID?” It’s best to err on the side of caution until you’ve tested negative. Here’s where to start.
Were you exposed to COVID-19?
Human coronavirus is spread from person to person when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. This releases respiratory droplets into the air that land in the mouth or nose of someone in close proximity (about six feet away or less). In some cases, these droplets may also be inhaled directly into the lungs.
If you’ve spent more than 15 minutes with anyone less than 6 feet away who becomes ill with COVID-19, you’ve had a close contact. If you’ve been in a crowded, public area, your exposure risk increases. Whether or not you know you have been exposed to coronavirus, these symptoms can indicate a possible infection, according to the CDC:
- Fever (temperature over 100.4 degrees F) 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
The coronavirus incubation period—the time between when a person is infected to when they start to show symptoms depends on the variant—is two to 14 days, and it averages to five days.
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What to do if you think you have COVID
If you think you may have been exposed to the coronavirus, especially if you have symptoms of COVID-19 like a fever or cough, there are several steps you should take.
- Get tested. Home kits are very effective.
- Isolate yourself.
- Use good hygiene.
- Wear a mask.
- Tell your close contacts.
- Call your healthcare provider.
- Get help for severe symptoms.
- Stay home until you’re cleared.
1. Get tested.
At-home COVID tests are widely available. If you have one in your cabinet, use it. Or, head to a local testing site. Most insurance plans cover COVID-19 testing at no cost to you, as often as you need to be tested. Though, you may have to pay a copay depending on your insurance plan. If you need help finding a testing location near you, your local health department can assist you. The CDC recommends testing at least 5 days after a close contact with someone who contracted COVID-19 for everyone, regardless of vaccination status—or sooner if you have symptoms.
2. Isolate yourself.
If you have mild symptoms, and until you can confirm if you have COVID-19 or not, stay home and separate yourself from family members and pets as much as possible. Stay in a separate room, and use a separate bathroom. This is especially important if you have had contact with someone who may have the virus. The quarantine recommendations vary based on vaccination status. Five days is standard for people who are not vaccinated and boosted.
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3. Use good hygiene.
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, don’t share personal items like plates or silverware at home and wipe down surfaces like doorknobs, nightstands, toilets and phones with cleaning wipes every day. Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water is not readily available.
4. Wear a mask.
If you need to leave your house, wear a well-fitting mask to protect others. You might also want to wear a face mask at home during times you’re in the same room with another family member. Regardless of vaccination status, the CDC recommends masking for 10 days after an exposure.
5. Tell your close contacts.
It’s a good idea to let those you have spent time with recently know that you think you may have COVID-19. That way they can monitor their health, get tested, or isolate as needed. It’s the best way to keep coronavirus from spreading to even more people.
6. Call your healthcare provider.
There are now some FDA-authorized treatments available that are most effective when taken within 5 days of developing COVID-19 symptoms. However, they are mainly for people who are at high-risk of severe illness, including people aged 65 or older or with medical conditions. Your healthcare provider can help you determine if you qualify for treatment with molnupiravir, Paxlovid, or monoclonal antibodies like Evusheld.
7. Get medical help for more severe symptoms.
More serious symptoms like a very high fever, feeling very weak, and trouble breathing are warning signs that you should get urgent medical care. If your symptoms are so severe you need emergency medical attention, let them know that you may have COVID.
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8. Stay home until you are cleared.
If you’re at home, stay in isolation until you either know you don’t have COVID-19 or until your healthcare provider gives you the all clear. Mild cases of coronavirus last between two and three weeks whereas severe cases could last much longer.
If you test positive but have no symptoms, the CDC currently advises Americans to isolate for at least five days from the date of the positive test. If you have a positive test result and symptoms, you should isolate for at least five days from the day your symptoms began. If you have a negative test result, you do not need to isolate but wear a mask around others for 10 days after your last known exposure to COVID-19.
If you need to treat fever or body aches, over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen are effective. Take care to follow dosing directions to not exceed the recommended maximum daily dose (if you have a low-grade fever, it is recommended to let the fever run its course). Then, use rest and fluids to help you recover, like you would with any other viral illness.
