You tested positive for Covid-19. Now what?

How long will I be contagious?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 should be isolated for 10 days from the onset of symptoms. This means avoiding any contact with other people and not leaving home unless you have to go to a medical appointment. If you are asymptomatic and have a positive test and never show symptoms, the isolation period should begin on the day you took the diagnostic test. It is believed that you will stop being contagious after 10 days if you have not had a fever (and have not taken medicines to reduce your fever) for at least 24 hours and your symptoms improve. The CDC recommends that immunocompromised patients and those with severe cases of Covid-19 be isolated for up to 20 days after symptoms appear.

Do I have to tell the people I have been in contact with that I have tested positive?

Anyone living with you should take a Covid-19 test and quarantine it for 10 to 14 days from your last contact with you. In some cases, quarantine can be reduced to seven days with a negative test. If you have spent a total of 15 minutes less than 6 feet on anyone else in the last two to four days, you should contact these people and let them know that you have tested positive. Some experts say that if you are masked and out there is a significantly lower risk and quarantine may not apply to these contacts, but it depends on your local health department’s contact tracking guidelines.

“Public health authorities vary in advice,” says Graham Snyder, medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “In our jurisdiction, if it’s masked, we still consider ourselves exposed to less than 6 feet for 15 minutes. Viously, obviously, you’re less likely to be contagious or exposed if both people are masked and less likely to transmit viruses outdoors, but there is a continuum where public health marks this line and can vary ”.

When I’m isolated, what can or can’t I do?

Isolating means avoiding all human contact as much as you can. Some cities and governments offer housing to people who need to isolate themselves. If this is not an option and you live with other people, if possible, try to stay in your private bathroom or room. Food and other essentials should be left outside the door. If someone enters your room or needs to venture out, make sure you are both masked. Some experts say isolated walks are not allowed. Others say, as long as you’re masked, you feel good and that in an area where you can be very far away from others, it’s okay to go outdoors.

Should I do another diagnostic test after the 10-day isolation period?

No. Many experts say it is unnecessary and can cause unwarranted stress and anxiety in the event that another test is positive. The PCR test commonly used to diagnose Covid-19 is highly sensitive and can detect dead or non-infectious virus particles weeks later, says Kristin Englund, an infectious disease doctor at the Cleveland Clinic. “So it won’t be an accurate diagnosis of whether someone is still infectious or not,” she says.

The only case in which a repeated diagnostic test may be necessary is for severely ill and immunocompromised patients the recommended period of isolation is up to 20 days after the onset of symptoms.

What about an antibody test?

Doctors do not recommend getting an antibody test in most cases. “There’s no need to do routine antibody testing after a diagnosis of Covid,” says Michael Lin, an infectious disease physician at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. “It’s expensive and it doesn’t change what you do every day.”

Dr. Lin says, “We still don’t know if having a positive antibody test means you’re automatically protected or vice versa, if a negative result means you’re at risk.” Doctors say it is important to observe protections against the pandemic after having Covid-19, including wearing a mask, social distancing, and avoiding crowded indoor spaces. A vaccine is recommended, so the results of an antibody test do not provide useful information.

The only reason anyone might consider a test is if they couldn’t do a diagnostic test, but they had symptoms of Covid-19 and wanted to see retroactively if that’s what they had, Lin says.

What if I don’t feel completely better after 10 days? If I still cough, should I worry about being contagious?

The CDC’s 10-day isolation recommendation refers only to being contagious. “The duration of symptoms does not correlate with contagion,” says Dr. Snyder of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Many patients may feel fully recovered after 10 days or two weeks. But others may not be able to return to work and their normal routines. If your symptoms improve and you don’t have a fever, it’s normal, he says.

“I don’t think I have to wait until it’s completely asymptomatic to get out of quarantine and consider going back to normal daily activities,” Dr. Englund says. According to her, a recovery time of up to 28 days is reasonable. You will then need to contact your primary care physician.

What is Covid?

Long Covid is a term for patients with Covid-19 who experience symptoms that may last for months after their initial acute Covid infection. Also called long-term, these patients often develop new and worsening symptoms, even after recovering from their first battle of Covid. Some patients were never hospitalized for acute Covid-19 and are young and healthy, with no underlying medical condition. A recent study by the UK Office for National Statistics estimated that 20% of patients with covid have symptoms for five weeks or more and 10% have symptoms for 12 weeks or more.

Can I get the Covid-19 vaccine if I have had Covid and, if so, how long should I wait?

Yes, you can and experts say you should get the vaccine as soon as you are eligible. It is believed that most people with Covid-19 have some natural immunity and will be protected against the virus again for at least three months. “Theoretically, the vaccine can boost a person’s immunity from being infected naturally,” says David Wohl, a professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. According to him, there is no reason to wait, except to make sure you are out of the infectious period of ten days and fully recovered, as the vaccine can cause symptoms or side effects in some people.

Should I have received the vaccine if I was not admitted to the hospital but had monoclonal antibody treatment?

More patients are now being treated with the two authorized monoclonal antibody treatments for patients at risk of hospital admission. These patients should wait at least three months before receiving the vaccine, says Dr. immune system.

Any symptoms that are a red flag to seek medical attention?

Dr. Lin says that during active acute infection, if you have no air and cannot speak in full sentences, it is a sign that your lungs are seriously infected and you need to seek medical attention. Other symptoms of the red flag include confusion or signs of stroke, such as a sudden weakness in one part of the body or a loss of sensation. Dr. Lin says that if you cannot do your daily activities after recovering from acute Covid, consult a doctor.

When can I resume my normal exercise routine?

Experts say don’t go back to your fitness regimen if you’re doing high-intensity exercise before Covid. “It would start slowly again,” Dr. Wohl says. “Listen to your body.” Even people who were not hospitalized may have inflammation in their lungs and not exchange oxygen as they normally would, he says. The exercise that is tolerated, advises Dr. Lin. “This particular virus has a propensity to infect the lungs,” he says. “So we expect people to have possibly more trouble getting back to their normal exercise routine compared to other viruses.”

Should some tests of Covid-19 patients check for organ damage, such as chest scans or electrocardiograms?

Experts do not routinely recommend testing or scanning unless there is one particular symptom that lasts a long time and does not improve, such as shortness of breath or heartbeat.

Can Covid-19 cause other latent viruses, such as the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis, or the activation of shingles?

Yes. When the body is subjected to stress, latent viruses can be reactivated. “In most cases, these are increases in transient levels and do not lead to any organ disease,” says Dr. Wohl. “We know people when stress or illness occurs with other types of viruses, such as wounds or even shingles.” Under these conditions, they can emerge, he says.

Write to Sumathi Reddy at [email protected]