When should you test for COVID, and what if you test positive? Here are latest tips

Simone Jasper
·3 min read
30

These days, feeling sick may make you consider whether you have COVID-19 — and how to rule it out.

But more than three years after the start of the coronavirus spread, what’s the latest guidance on testing? Here are answers to some common questions, including when to get tested for COVID-19 and what to do if the results are positive.

When should you get a test?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urges people to seek COVID-19 tests in the following situations:

  • As soon as you experience symptoms of COVID-19. Those signs — including fever, cough and loss of taste or smell — could emerge two to 14 days after being in contact with someone who was sick.

  • Before gathering with groups, especially with people “who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-⁠19 vaccines.”

  • At least five days after being around someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Where can you get tested?

If you want to get tested, it’s best to check with pharmacies or other health-related locations. People also can search for free testing sites at testinglocator.cdc.gov.

Earlier this year, the U.S. government also mailed no-cost, at-home COVID-19 tests to households that requested them through covid.gov. But as of June 1, the program has been suspended to help maintain supply levels, according to the website.

People with at-home test kits are urged to look for expiration dates, given that older tests could provide results that aren’t accurate. But before tossing your kit, you might want to check the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website to see if its expiration date has been extended.

Keep in mind that PCR tests usually are more capable of detecting the virus than at-home tests, which are also called rapid or antigen tests, according to CDC recommendations last updated in May, when the U.S. government ended its COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

What if you test positive?

If you test positive for COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking the following precautions to help keep others healthy:

  • Stay at home and away from others for at least five days, when you’re the most contagious.

  • Avoid spending time around people “who are at high risk of getting very sick,” including older adults and those with underlying health conditions.

  • Wear a face mask that fits well if you have to be near others.

A doctor can help you decide which treatment options might be best for you, including the drug Paxlovid. When experiencing signs of a health crisis, such as trouble breathing, you should seek medical attention right away, according to the CDC.

How long do you need to quarantine?

If your five-day COVID-19 isolation period is over and you didn’t experience symptoms, health experts say it’s OK to leave your home. In other cases, the CDC recommends ending quarantine:

  • After five days if you’re feeling better and “are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).”

  • Until your symptoms improve and you “are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).”

  • After 10 days if you had shortness of breath, were in the hospital or have a weakened immune system. It’s recommended that people who had severe cases check with a medical professional.

“End isolation based on how serious your COVID-19 symptoms were,” the CDC wrote in May. “Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation.”

The CDC didn’t immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on Aug. 18.

Flu, COVID, RSV pose triple-threat this fall. But who should get vaccinated — and when?

Man accused of selling fake COVID cure found after three-year manhunt, feds say

Man’s legs turn purple when he stands up. It’s a rare long COVID symptom, doctors say