FAQs COVID-19

This is our in-depth FAQs COVID-19 guide. Most content is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please see our other guides, too. They are on testing, vaccinations, uninsured resources and more.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. But symptoms often first present 5 days after exposure.

People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• 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

However, this list does not include all possible symptoms. More, the CDC will continue to update it as they learn more.

Yes. You are not considered fully protected until two weeks after you receive the final dose. And you need to continue to follow key preventative steps.

Yes. COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to you regardless of whether you already had the infection. And you should not be required to have an antibody test before you are vaccinated.

However, anyone currently infected with COVID-19 should wait to get vaccinated until after their illness has resolved. And also after they have met the criteria to discontinue isolation.

Additionally, current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. Therefore, people with a recent infection may delay vaccination until the end of that 90-day period if desired.

• Isolate yourself
• Contact your healthcare provider
• Get tested as soon as possible

If you have contact with other individuals, and are waiting for test results: be sure to communicate your concerns with them. More, avoid contact, and wash your hands frequently.

Above all, stay home except to get medical care.

• Stay home. Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care. In particular, do not leave your home, except to get medical care. And do not visit public areas.
• Take care of yourself. Get rest and stay hydrated. More, take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better.
• Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. And be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, discussed below.
• Avoid public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.

Separate yourself from other people

As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home. If possible, you should use a separate bathroom. Furthermore, if you need to be around other people or animals in or outside of the home, wear a cloth face covering.

If you have pets, please scroll to the very bottom of this page.

Monitor your symptoms

• Symptoms of COVID-19 fever, cough, or other symptoms.
• Follow care instructions from your healthcare provider and local health department. More, local health authorities may give instructions on checking your symptoms and reporting information.

If you are sick wear a cloth covering over your nose and mouth

• Importantly, you should wear a  cloth face covering,  over your nose and mouth if you must be around other people or animals, including pets (even at home)
• You don’t need to wear the cloth face covering if you are alone. And if you can’t put on a cloth face covering (because of trouble breathing, for example), cover your coughs and sneezes in some other way. Try to stay at least 6 feet away from other people. In particular, this will help protect the people around you.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2 years. And anyone who has trouble breathing. And anyone who is not able to remove the covering without help.

Note: You may need to make a cloth face covering using a scarf or bandana.

Cover your coughs and sneezes

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Throw away used tissues in a lined trash can.
• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean your hands often

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. More, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.
• Soap and water are the best option, especially if hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid sharing personal household items

• Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people in your home.
• Wash these items thoroughly after using them with soap and water or put in the dishwasher.

Clean all “high-touch” surfaces everyday

• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your “sick room” and bathroom; wear disposable gloves. And let someone else clean and disinfect surfaces in common areas. But you should clean your bedroom and bathroom, if possible.
• If a caregiver or other person needs to clean and disinfect a sick person’s bedroom or bathroom, they should do so on an as-needed basis. And the caregiver/other person should wear a mask and disposable gloves prior to cleaning. More, they should wait as long as possible after the person who is sick has used the bathroom before coming in to clean and use the bathroom.

High-touch surfaces include phones, remote controls, counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.

• Clean and disinfect areas that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.
• Use household cleaners and disinfectants. Clean the area or item with soap and water or another detergent if it is dirty. Then, use a household disinfectant.

• Be sure to follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product. Many products recommend keeping the surface wet for several minutes to ensure germs are killed. And many also recommend precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
• Most EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective. 
• See the CDC website for a full list of disinfectants.

This short video provided by UC San Diego Health provides a good overview on disinfecting and cleaning to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19:

Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Bluish lips or face

*This is only a partial list of possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

Special note from HealthMessages.org: furthermore, if you need to visit an emergency room or health facility, please wear a mask during transit and while waiting.

Call ahead before visiting your doctor

• Call ahead. Many medical visits for routine care are being postponed or done by phone or telemedicine.
• If you have a medical appointment that cannot be postponed, call your doctor’s office, and tell them you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the office protect themselves and other patients.
  

If you are sick wear a cloth covering over your nose and mouth

• You should wear a  cloth face covering,  over your nose and mouth if you must be around other people or animals, including pets (even at home)
• You don’t need to wear the cloth face covering if you are alone. If you can’t put on a cloth face covering (because of trouble breathing, for example), cover your coughs and sneezes in some other way. Try to stay at least 6 feet away from other people. This will help protect the people around you.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2 years, anyone who has trouble breathing, or anyone who is not able to remove the covering without help.

Cover your coughs and sneezes

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Throw away used tissues in a lined trash can.
• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean your hands often

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.
• Soap and water are the best option, especially if hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid sharing personal household items

• Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people in your home.
• Wash these items thoroughly after using them with soap and water or put in the dishwasher.

You can be with others after

• 3 days with no fever and
• Symptoms improved and
• 10 days since symptoms first appeared

Depending on your healthcare provider’s advice and availability of testing, you might get tested to see if you still have COVID-19. If you will be tested, you can be around others when you have no fever, symptoms have improved, and you receive two negative test results in a row, at least 24 hours apart.

If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after:

• 10 days have passed since test

Depending on your healthcare provider’s advice and availability of testing, you might get tested to see if you still have COVID-19. If you will be tested, you can be around others after you receive two negative test results in a row, at least 24 hours apart.

If you develop symptoms after testing positive, follow the guidance above for “I think or know I had COVID, and I had symptoms.”

People with conditions that weaken their immune system might need to stay home longer than 10 days. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information.  If testing is available in your community, it may be recommended by your healthcare provider.  You can be with others after you receive two negative test results in a row, at least 24 hours apart.

If testing is not available in your area, your doctor should work with an infectious disease expert at your local health department to  determine if you are likely to spread COVID-19 to others and need to stay home longer.

It is important to remember that anyone who has close contact with someone with COVID-19 should stay home for 14 days after exposure based on the time it takes to develop illness.

Animals are members of the family, too. And some pets, including cats and dogs, have been reported to be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. And it was mostly after close contact with people with the virus. Based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading the virus to people is considered to be low.

It appears that the virus can spread from people to animals in some situations. Thus, treat pets as you would other human family members – do not let pets interact with people outside the household. And if a person inside the household becomes sick, isolate that person from everyone else, including pets.

Protect pets if you are Sick

If you are sick with COVID-19 (either suspected or confirmed by a test), you should limit contact with pets, just like you would with people. Until we know mores about this virus, people sick with COVID-19 should avoid contact with pets and other animals.

• When possible, have another member of your household care for your pets while you are sick.
• Avoid contact with your pet including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, sharing food, and sleeping in the same bed.
• If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wear a mask and wash your hands before and after you interact with them.

If you are sick with COVID-19 and your pet becomes sick, do not take your pet to the veterinary clinic yourself. Call your veterinarian and let them know you have been sick with COVID-19.

Here are some key steps to protect your pet and others, too:

• Wash your hands after handling animals, their food, waste, or supplies.
• Practice good pet hygiene and clean up after them properly.
• Talk to your veterinarian if you have questions about your pet’s health.

Most of the content found on this page is from the CDC website. Some additional content has been added. Illustration by Olha Khomich.