COVID-19: From Exposure To Feeling Better

– [Narrator] We get a lot of questions from people about COVID-19, like what should I do if I get exposed? How long should I stay home? To answer those questions, let’s look at a few examples. This is Sam. Sam was exposed to COVID-19 on April 2nd when he saw his great aunt Marion. Since we know that it takes between two to 14 days for someone who is exposed to begin to show symptoms, Sam should stay home and watch for symptoms for at least 14 days.

(contemplative music) Common symptoms are cough, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. Some people may also experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. On April 16th, 14 days after exposure, Sam still showed no symptoms. This means he can now return to normal activities.

Now let’s look at another example. Sandra was exposed to COVID-19 on April 3rd. When she found out, she stayed home and watched for symptoms. Seven days later, on April 10th, she started coughing.

Two days later, April 12th, she had a fever. People with COVID-19 who have isolated at home can leave under the following conditions. No fever for at least 72 hours, that’s three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers. And their other symptoms have improved.

For example, when their cough or shortness of breath have improved, and at least 10 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared. To figure out when Sandra can leave isolation, we have to look at when her symptoms went away. Her fever went away on April 18th. Three days later is April 21st.

Her cough and other symptoms went away on April 20th. 10 days after her symptoms started is also April 20th. Of these three dates, Sandra has to wait until the latest date to leave isolation. The latest date is April 21st.

That is when she can return to normal activities. For more information, visit the Department of Health website at DOH.wa.gov/coronavirus (contemplative music)

Source: Washington State Department of Health