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Steps to take
- Wear a high-quality mask when indoors around others (including inside your home) for 10 days, testing, and monitoring yourself for symptoms.
- Stay at home when you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19
- Seek treatment if you have COVID-19 and are at high risk of getting very sick.
- Avoid contact with people who have COVID-19, whether or not they feel sick, can reduce your risk of catching the virus from them.
- Wear masks or respirators.
- What should I do if I have symptoms?
- •How do I know if I am infected?
- •What precautions should I take to protect myself?
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Learn what to do if you are exposed to COVID-19, including how long to wear a mask, what to do if symptoms develop, and when to take a COVID-19 test.
Jan 9, 2024 · Federal health authorities, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend testing no sooner than five days after a COVID-19 exposure, unless you develop symptoms...
If you’ve been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, it is important that you take the correct steps to minimize the spread of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares three steps to protect yourself and others.
- Overview
- Take Precautions Right Away
- When to Call the Doctor
- Alternative Names
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- References
- Review Date 2/22/2023
- Related MedlinePlus Health Topics
If you have been exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19, you can spread the virus even if you don't show any symptoms. It is important to take precautions to protect others from the virus. You should take these steps whether you are vaccinated or not and even if you have had COVID-19 in the past.
If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or have been told by a health care provider or public health authority that you were exposed, you should take the following steps.
•Start wearing a high-quality mask or respirator (such as N95) as soon as you find out you were exposed to someone with COVID-19.
•You should wear a mask any time you are around others either inside your home or around other people in public.
•Start counting from day 1 of exposure. Day 1 is the first FULL day after your last exposure to the virus. You can develop COVID-19 for up to 10 days after exposure.
•If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, start isolation immediately and get tested as soon as you can.
•If you have no symptoms of COVID-19, get tested on day 6 after your last exposure. You should test even if you do not have symptoms.
You should contact your health care provider:
•If you have symptoms and think you may have been exposed to COVID-19
•If you have COVID-19 and your symptoms are getting worse
Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have:
•Trouble breathing
•Chest pain or pressure
COVID-19 exposure; COVID-19 exposure - what to do
•Face masks prevent the spread of COVID-19
•How to wear a face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. COVID-19: Isolation and precautions for people with COVID-19. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html. Updated August 11, 2022. Accessed January 31, 2023.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. COVID-19: What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html. Updated August 24, 2022. Accessed January 31, 2023.
Updated by: Frank D. Brodkey, MD, FCCM, Associate Professor, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Aug 11, 2022 · If you were exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 or have been told by a healthcare provider or public health authority that you were exposed, here are the steps that you should take, regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection.
Jan 7, 2024 · If you've been exposed to the virus but don't have any symptoms, wait for 5 days before you get tested. If you test too early and you do have COVID-19, you may falsely test negative.
Apr 4, 2024 · Read how to protect yourself from coronavirus and slow the spread, including get vaccinated, wear a mask, and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
