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What To Do: Positive COVID Test & COVID Exposure

What to do if your rapid or PCR test is positive? 

  1. Start isolating from people immediately. 

  2. Report your results online.
    DC reporting. Maryland reporting. Virginia reporting.

    Day 0 is the day of your positive viral test (based on the date you were tested) or the first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed or the first full day after the specimen was collected for your positive test.

  3. Continue to isolate for 5 days. If you are contacted by a contact tracer, you should cooperate. 

  4. Regardless of vaccination status, after isolating for 5 days, and if you are fever-free for 24-hours without the use of fever-reduncing medication and your other symptoms have improved and you have access to an antigen test, you should test yourself:

    1. If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until day 10.

    2. If your test result is negative,  you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10.

  5. If your symptoms have not improved after 5 days, you should 

    1. Continue isolation and wait to end your isolation until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication 

    2. And your other symptoms have improved

​Information based on guidance released by the CDC on 1/4/22”. Also add a footnote that says last updated on whatever date this is created.

CDC Guidance For Close Contact COVID Exposure

 If you’re fully vaccinated and boosted 

Per CDC guidance, if you found out you are a close contact of someone that has tested positive for COVID-19 and are fully vaccinated and boosted, you should:

  • Wear a mask around others for 10 days

  • Test on day 5, if possible 

  • You do not need to isolate, if you are not symptomatic or do not have a positive test

 If you’re unvaccinated or unboosted 

Per CDC guidance, if you found out you are a close contact of someone that has tested positive for COVID-19 and are not fully vaccinated or are not boosted, you should: 

  • Stay home and isolate for 5 days. After the 5 day isolation, you should wear a mask around others for 5 additional days. 

  • If you can’t quarantine, you must wear a mask for 10 days. 

  • Test on day 5, if possible. 

  • If you develop symptoms at any point, stay home and get tested.

MD & VA automatically follow CDC guidance 

 

Click here for DC’s situational update. Click here for the latest guidance from the CDC.