Follow-up Instructions for After Your COVID-19 Test

If your test result was positive (detected), this means the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 was present in your test sample.

Treatment of COVID-19 does not require an antibiotic. If your symptoms are generally mild and stable, please isolate yourself at home. If it becomes difficult to breathe, contact your doctor as soon as possible.

If you received testing as part of your pre-surgery evaluation, a member of your surgery team will be in contact with you.

Next steps:

• Stay home except to get medical care.
• Follow the instructions below for home isolation.
• Call ahead before visiting your doctor or a hospital.
• Follow the instructions below for household contacts.

When can my home isolation end?

How long to isolate yourself depends on several different factors.

Detailed information can be found on the CDC’s website.

What should my household contacts do?

Follow the CDC recommendations

When can I be seen at a UW Medicine clinic or facility after being diagnosed with COVID-19?

Patients with recent diagnoses of COVID-19 should call ahead and will require infection prevention precautions, including:

• A minimum of 10 days have passed after diagnosed
• At least 24 hours have passed since your last fever without the use of a fever-reducing medications
• All other symptoms have improved
• If you are immunocompromised, you should check with your care team about how long you may require precautions to minimize transmission to staff or other patients

If your test result was inconclusive, this means the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 may be present in your test sample.

An inconclusive test result is treated the same as a positive test result.

Treatment of COVID-19 does not require an antibiotic. If your symptoms are generally mild and stable, please isolate yourself at home. If it becomes difficult to breathe, contact your doctor.

If you received testing as part of your pre-surgery evaluation, a member of your surgery team will be in contact with you.

Next steps:

• Stay home except to get medical care.
• Follow the instructions below for home isolation.
• Call ahead before visiting your doctor or a hospital.
• Follow the instructions below for household contacts.

When can my home isolation end?

You should isolate yourself:

• For a minimum of 10 days and
• At least 24 hours have passed since your last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• All other symptoms have improved

What should my household contacts do?

Household contacts may be tested for COVID-19 after 48 hours following exposure. Household contacts should quarantine for 14 days even if they have a negative COVID-19 test result. The 14-day quarantine period begins once you are isolated from your household contacts. If you are not able to separate yourself from your household contacts, the 14-day quarantine period begins when you have met the criteria to break isolation.

If you tested negative (not detected), it is highly unlikely that you have COVID-19.

Several respiratory viruses can cause symptoms like yours, including the common cold or the flu. If you received testing as part of your pre-surgery evaluation, a member of your surgery team will be in contact with you if needed.

Next steps:

• Stay home while you are feeling sick.
• Monitor your symptoms and contact your doctor if they get worse.
• If you have questions, contact your doctor.

When can my home isolation end?

If you were tested because you were exposed to a household contact with COVID-19, you should still quarantine yourself for a period of 14 days. The 14-day quarantine period begins once your affected household contact is isolated. If you are unable to quarantine yourself from your affected household contact, the 14-day quarantine period begins when the patient meets criteria to break isolation.

If you were not exposed to a household contact with COVID-19, you may still be contagious while experiencing symptoms, so you should not return to work or regular activities until 24 hours after symptoms fully improve. For example, if you feel back to normal on Tuesday, you should remain isolated until Wednesday.