If you are diagnosed with COVID-19
If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, someone from the health department may call you to
- Check on your health,
- Discuss who you have been around, and
- Ask where you have spent time while you may have been able to spread COVID-19 to others.
Discussions with health department staff are confidential. This means that your name and personal and medical information will be kept private and only shared with those who may need to know, like your health care provider.
- Your name will not be shared with those you came in contact with. The health department will only notify people you were in close contact with (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) that they might have been exposed to COVID-19.
Any information you share with health department staff is CONFIDENTIAL. This means that your name and personal and medical information will be kept private.
Stay home and away from others:
You will be asked to stay at home and self-isolate, if you are not doing so already.
- Stay home and away from others except to get medical care.
- Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
- Stay in a separate room from other household members and use a separate bathroom, if possible.
- Avoid contact with other household members and pets.
- Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
- Wear a mask when around other people, if able.
Learn more about what to do if you are sick.
- Self-isolation helps slow the spread of COVID-19 and can help keep your family, friends, neighbors, and others healthy.
- If you need support or assistance while in self-isolation, your health department or community organizations may be able to provide assistance.
Monitor your health: If your symptoms worsen or become severe, you should seek emergency medical care.
You can be around others after
- 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
- 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, and
- Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving.
Tell your close contacts.
If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, tell your close contacts that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (or 2 days) before the person has any symptoms or tests positive. By letting your close contacts know they may have been exposed to COVID-19, you are helping to protect everyone.
