I took a test at the drive-up testing center and have received my results. What do I do?
If the test was positive
This means that you can probably spread the COVID-19 virus.
You must stay home for 10 days from the day you were tested if you have no illness symptoms, meaning you are completely well.
If you are ill, you must stay home for at least 10 days from the beginning of the illness, which might have been before the test day. The actual number of days you must stay home depends on the course of your illness. You should check with your health care provider. if at the end of the 10 day period you have had no fever for at least 24 hours (without taking fever medicine) and you are getting better, then your infection is considered clear. If you are not better, you should check with your healthcare provider.
If the test is negative
This means that you do not have the virus present at the time your test was done.
This could be because you have had no exposure at all and have nothing to worry about. Continue to follow the recommendations to wear a mask over your nose and mouth, maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others, and limit the number of people you are in contact with. Stay home if you are ill and wash your hands often.
Your test could also be negative because it was done too soon and you can still be able to pass the virus to others. if you know you were in contact with someone who was positive (someone at work or at home), you will need to quarantine at home for 10 days after your last contact with that positive person, even though your test was negative. If you live in a household with someone who is positive, and you are not table to be apart from them, you must wait until the infected person is cleared (at least 10 days from the start) and then your 10 day quarantine begins (which means being in home quarantine for 20 days). Note that the incubation time for the virus is 2-14 days. Even though the quarantine ends at day 10, you could develop COVID-19 at day 14.
For those who are fully immunized, CDC recommends that if you were in contact with someone who was positive, you don’t have to quarantine. You should wear a mask until you get your test result, and if negative, you can go out without a mask. If positive, you need to isolate for 10 days.