COVID-19 Positive

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I Have COVID-19 Symptoms
I’ve Had Close Contact with a COVID-Positive Person
Tested Positive For COVID
Isolate to Protect From COVID-19

If you have any of these symptoms and have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should get a COVID-19 test.

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

Isolate until you receive test results

How do I get a COVID-19 Test?

Click on the following resources to find access to a COVID-19 test near you:

I’ve Had a Close Contact, Now What?

A close contact is someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinical diagnosis) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes within a 24-hour period). An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 2 days before the person has symptoms (or 2 days before their positive test if they do not have symptoms). If you are a close contact, it is important to take precautions in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 that can occur before becoming symptomatic. You can use CDC’s COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Calculator and Isolation Calculator to determine when, and for how long, you need to stay home, get tested, and wear a well-fitting mask.

If you were exposed to COVID-19 and are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations (persons who have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the past 5 months or completed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine within the past 2 months, or those who have received a booster shot at any time) you do not need to quarantine according to CDC guidelines. However, the following actions should still be taken:

Wear a mask around others for 10 days after known exposure.
Be tested for COVID-19 on day 5, if possible.
If symptoms develop, immediately self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19.

If you were exposed to COVID-19 and are not up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations, you should quarantine and take the following actions:

Per CDC guidelines, you do not need to quarantine unless you develop symptoms.
Get tested, even if you don’t develop symptoms, at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
If symptoms develop, immediately self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19.

If you were exposed to COVID-19 and have had a confirmed COVID-19 test within the past 90 days, CDC guidelines do not require a quarantine, but the following actions must still be taken:

Wear a mask around others for 10 days after last known exposure.
Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had contact with someone with COVID-19.
If symptoms develop, immediately self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19.

CDC Close Contact Definition and Measures

As COVID-19 protection measures evolve, it can be hard to keep track of what to do and when to do it. We have compiled this guide with the most recent CDC guidance to help limit community spread of the COVID-19 virus.

I tested positive for COVID-19, Now What?

If you are at high-risk for severe COVID-19, it is important to consider seeking immediate treatment. In order to reduce severe outcomes, such as, hospitalization and death, it is best to seek COVID-19 treatment immediately.

Anyone with the following risk factors is at greater risk of severe disease, hospitalization, or death from COVID-19:

65 years of age or older
Obesity or BMI greater than 30 (click here to calculate your BMI)
Pregnancy
Chronic kidney disease
Diabetes
Immunosuppressive disease or immunosuppressive treatment
Cardiovascular disease or hypertension
Chronic lung diseases
Sickle cell disease
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Having a medical-related technological dependence (for example: tracheostomy, gastrostomy, or positive pressure ventilation not related to COVID-19)

Click on the Nevada Health Response treatment page for more information and to find a treatment center near you: https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/find-treatment/

In addition, when you test positive for COVID-19, it is important to take the necessary steps to prevent spreading the infection to your family, friends, and other people:

Isolate

When you test positive for COVID-19, it is important to avoid others by staying home and to isolate from others in your home during that period. You isolate when you are sick or when you have been infected with the virus, even if you don’t have symptoms.

Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-19. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others.

If you are waiting on your test results, it is important to start your isolation if you have the following symptoms:

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
Runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea.

Continue isolation if you test positive for COVID-19.

If your COVID-19 test is negative, continue to stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever reducing medications, except to get medical care or other necessities.

Calculating Isolation Period:
Day 0 is your first day of symptoms or the day of your positive viral test if you do not have symptoms.

Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed or after your test specimen was collected.
If you have COVID-19 or have symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days. (i.e. the completion of five full days after your first day of symptoms or positive test).

If you did NOT have COVID-19 symptoms

End isolation after at least 5 full days after your positive test.

If you had symptoms of COVID-19, but did not become severely ill:

End isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are improving.
You should continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public for 5 additional days (day 6 through day 10) after the end of your 5-day isolation period.

If you were severely ill with COVID-19 (i.e. a person who is hospitalized or needed intensive medical care) you should isolate for at least 10 days and consult your doctor before ending isolation.

What to do for isolation

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, if possible.
Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
Take steps to improve ventilation at home, if possible.
Avoid contact with other members of the household and pets.
Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
Wear a well-fitting mask when you need to be around other people.
Notify your close contacts and your work supervisor
Take leave or seek flexibility with your work schedule
If in school contact your instructors for flexibility with classes and assignments
Take care of yourself, stay hydrated, and get rest.
Contact your healthcare provider or seek immediate medical attention if you experience severe COVID-19 symptoms including difficulty breathing, losing consciousness, dehydration, or fever greater than 102° degrees

What to do between days 5 and 10 if you meet the criteria for ending isolation at day 5:

If you are unable to wear a mask around others, isolate for a full 10 days
Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high-risk of severe COVID-19 disease until after 10 days
Avoid travel until a full 10 days after your first day of symptoms or positive COVID-19 test
Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask such as restaurants and gyms, until 10 days have passed since your symptoms started or you tested positive

CDC Quarantine & Isolation