What to do while waiting for a COVID-19 test result

If you think you may have COVID-19 and are waiting for a COVID-19 test result, stay home and monitor your health to protect your friends, family and others from possibly getting COVID-19.

Stay home and away from others.

• Stay away from others while waiting for your COVID-19 test result, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19, such as older adults and people with other medical conditions, if possible.

• If you have been around someone with COVID-19, stay home and away from others for 14 days (self-quarantine) after your last contact with that person and monitor your health.

• If you have a fever, cough or other symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and away from others (except to get medical care).

• If you need support or assistance while in self-quarantine, your health department or community organizations may be able to provide assistance.

Monitor your health.

• Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath or other symptoms of COVID-19. Remember, symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to COVID-19.

Think about the people you have recently been around.

While you wait for your COVID-19 test result, think about everyone you have been around recently. This will be important information to have available.

If your test is positive, someone from the health department may call you to check on your health, discuss who you have been around, and ask where you spent time while you may have been able to spread COVID-19 to others.

Follow your health department’s guidelines when you receive your COVID-19 test result.

• Positive test, whether or not you have symptoms

- If your test is positive, refer to the section What you can expect to happen if you are diagnosed with COVID-19

• Negative test and you do not have symptoms

- If your test is negative and you do not have symptoms, continue to stay away from others (self-quarantine) for 14 days after your last exposure to COVID-19 and follow all recommendations from the health department.

- A negative result before the end of your quarantine period does not rule out possible infection.

- You do not need a repeat test unless you develop symptoms.

• Negative test and you have symptoms

- If your test is negative and you have symptoms you should continue to stay away from others (self-quarantine) for 14 days after your last exposure to COVID-19 and follow all recommendations from the health department. A second test and additional medical consultation may be needed if your symptoms do not improve.

- If your symptoms worsen or become severe, you should seek emergency medical care.