Stay home except to get medical care.

Regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you have COVID-19. You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results. If your results are positive, follow the full isolation recommendations below. If your results are negative, you can end your isolation.

If you tested positive for COVID-19

You must self-isolate for 5 days after your test was collected. If you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicines like Tylenol or ibuprofen) and your symptoms are improving, you may leave isolation but must continue to wear a mask when around others for 5 more days. If you test negative on two sequential tests taken 48 hours apart, you may remove your mask sooner.

If you have symptoms but have not been tested for COVID-19

If you have fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, please get tested. You should isolate away from others while you are waiting for your test result. If you do not get tested you should isolate for 5 days after your symptoms began, and until it has been at least 24 hours since you had a fever (without taking fever-reducing medicines like Tylenol or ibuprofen) and your other symptoms have improved. Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 more days.

  • Stay home. Do not leave your home, except to get medical care. Do not visit public places or other people’s homes and do not invite people to your home. 
  • Take care of yourself. Get rest and stay hydrated. Ask your health care provider about pain and fever medication. 
  • Use grocery delivery or curbside services.   
  • Make the best of your time at home by teleworking if you’re able or catching up on reading, your favorite shows, or other at-home hobbies.  
  • Keep in touch with your family and friends by telephone or video calls. 

Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care. 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 list is not all possible symptoms.  

Call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you. 

Call ahead before visiting your doctor. If you need medical care, call ahead to let your provider know you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19. Always wear a mask over your nose and mouth when around others. 

  • Stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home as much as possible. Use a separate bathroom, if available.   
  • Avoid sharing personal items with other people in your household, like dishes, towels, and bedding.  
  • Take everyday actions to prevent the spread of germs.  
    • Clean your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.  
    • Cover your cough/sneeze.  
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.  
  • Clean all surfaces that are touched often like counters, tabletops, and doorknobs. Use household cleaning products according to the label instructions.  
  • Have your household members monitor themselves for symptoms. The following page contains valuable information on what to do as a contact of someone with COVID-19: I have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 — now what? 

Help the Health District notify your close contacts.

Letting people know that they have had close contact with someone who tested positive helps them keep their loved ones safe and stops the spread of COVID-19. 

Step 1: Determine when it would have been possible to spread the virus to others.  

Find the first day it would have been possible to spread the virus to others: 

  1. Write down the date you first had symptoms. If you do not have any symptoms, write down the date you got tested.  
  2. Subtract (go back) 2 days before that date. This is the first day it would have been possible for you to spread the virus to others. 

Find the last day it would have been possible to spread the virus to others: 

  • If you did not have symptoms: Add (go forward) 10 days from the date you wrote down in #1. This is the last day it would be possible for you to spread the virus to others. 
  • If you did have symptoms:  
    1. Add (go forward) 10 days from the date you wrote down in #1.  
    2. Choose the first day AFTER that date that you did not have a fever for at least 24 hours (and were not taking fever-reducing medicines), and your other symptoms were improving. This is the last day it would have been possible for you to spread the virus to others.

Step 2: Determine if you had close contact with anyone. If any of the following happened between the first date and last date in Step 1, you had close contact with that person. 

  • You were within 6 feet of someone for a total of 15 minutes or more , either during one 15–minute block of time or cumulatively throughout a given day 
  • Someone provided care for you at home while you were sick with COVID-19  
  • You had direct physical contact with someone (hugged or kissed them)  
  • You shared eating or drinking utensils with someone
  • You sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on someone 

Tell everyone you had close contact with that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Direct them to visit this website for information about what to do: I have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 — now what? 

Letting the Health District know about everyone you had close contact with helps us notify those who might have been exposed to COVID-19. It is still important to tell the Health District about all close contacts, even if you notify them yourself. 

There are two ways you can let the Health District know who you had close contact with: 

  1. Telling a Contact Tracer when they call you.  
  2. Filling out a survey online. If you receive an email or text message from us, please follow the link to log on to an online portal and enter all of your close contacts. 

Find out more about how contact tracing works here.

*All information that you provide to the Health District is confidential. This means that your personal and medical information will be kept private. The Health District will never ask for your Social Security Number, citizenship, credit card, or bank information. 

* The Health District will not share your name with those you came in contact with. The Health District will only notify people you were in close contact with that they might have been exposed to COVID-19. 

I received an email telling me I have an important notification from the Health District. 

The Health District tries to notify everyone who has tested positive for certain conditions, including COVID-19, through an automated email system. To protect your privacy, the Health District does not share personal health information over email without your permission. Instead, you will be provided with a link to log on to an online portal where you can view your notification.  

Beware of fraudulent messages. Valid Health District emails are from do-not-reply@snhd.org. The Health District will never ask for your Social Security Number, citizenship, credit card, or bank information. 

If you received a message from us, please follow the link to view the notification and fill out the survey. The information you provide helps the Health District protect the health and well-being of the community. All information is kept confidential. 

I did NOT receive an email telling me I have an important notification from the Health District.

Sometimes the Health District does not have an accurate email address for people who test positive for certain conditions, including COVID-19. In this case, our automated message cannot be delivered. 

If you have tested positive or if you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should self-isolate—even if you did not receive a notification from us. Please use the information on this page to find out when you can end self-isolation and what else is required from you.