What To Do If You Are Sick

If you believe you have been exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19, or have been notified of an exposure, there are steps you can take to prevent further viral spread. Regardless of vaccination status and history of infection, these steps are recommended by the CDC if you have been exposed and are not experiencing any sick symptoms:

Wear a well-fitting mask while indoors in public or if you are around others inside your home. Day 0 is the most recent date of exposure. Continue mask wearing for 10 full days.

Watch for symptoms of COVID-19 such as, but not limited to, fever (100.4°F or higher), cough, or shortness of breath. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, isolate, test, and stay home until you receive your test result. If you test positive, begin isolation.

Get tested at least 5 full days after your last exposure. The type of test recommended is based on your history of recent COVID-19 illness.

If you test negative, continue taking precautions for through day 10.  If you test positive, begin isolation.

Isolation is used to separate sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. At home, anyone sick or infected should separate from others, stay in a specific “sick room” or area, and use a separate bathroom (if available). If you must be around others in your home, you should wear a well-fitting mask.

If you tested positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms:

• stay at home and away from other people for at least 5 days after your symptoms started
• wait until you have had no fever for at least 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine)
• and wait until your other symptoms have improved

After day 5, once symptoms have improved and you are fever-free for more than 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, you may end isolation as long as you can wear a mask through day 10. If you cannot wear a mask, you should isolate through day 10.

If you tested positive and do not have symptoms:

• stay at home and away from other people for 10 days starting the date of your positive test

If you continue to be symptom free, you may end isolation after day 5 as long as you can wear a mask through day 10. If you cannot wear a mask, you should isolate through day 10.

If you had no symptoms when you tested positive but develop symptoms AFTER your test:

• continue to isolate for at least 5 days after your symptoms started and are improving as described above

Regardless of vaccination status, any person who experiences symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should isolate and get tested. If you are symptomatic but fully vaccinated, inform your health care provider of your vaccination status. If you test positive, you should isolate for at least 5 days from the beginning of your symptoms (or from your test date if you have no symptoms).

While you are in isolation: 

• stay at home except to get medical care
• monitor your symptoms and know how to recognize an emergency
• separate yourself from other people and animals in your home
• don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils
• wear a face covering when you are around other people or pets, and before you enter a health care provider’s office 

The FDA has authorized or approved three antivirals: Paxlovid, Molnupiravir, and Remdesivir. Each antiviral has eligibility criteria that must be met. For more information on each antiviral, review the NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines for Antiviral Therapies.

If you have questions or concerns about the antivirals, please contact your health care provider. Review the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) fact sheets for Paxlovid (Spanish) and Molnupiravir (Spanish), as well as the full prescribing information for Remdesivir, for more information.

NOTE:  Bebtelovimab is no longer FDA approved for treatment because it is ineffective against Omicron (same for all Monoclonal antibody therapies).

The new federal Test to Treat program lets you get tested for COVID-19, get a prescription for treatment from a health care provider (if appropriate), and have your prescription filled all at one location (if appropriate). There are two Test to Treat locations in Weld County: 

Some other local retail pharmacies that currently have antivirals include: 

NOTE: Antivirals are not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19. Getting vaccinated is the best way to keep from getting sick with COVID-19.