If You Receive a Positive Result for COVID-19 Testing
Discovering a COVID-19 diagnosis isn't necessarily something to celebrate, given that the current "silent" outbreak in the U.S. raises your chances of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, particularly if necessary precautions aren't being taken. This was a topic I recently addressed for Our Website. The higher risk implies that, if you do get infected with SARS-CoV-2, you must take actions to protect yourself and those around you.
First Step: Isolate Yourself After Testing Positive
A positive test suggests that in all probability, you are releasing the virus, as false positive rates for commercial tests are incredibly low. In such a situation, it's crucial to stop interacting with individuals who are not already infected, as you could serve as a SARS-CoV-2 "sprinkler." Therefore, isolation is mandatory until you are confident that you are no longer emitting the virus.
Determining the length of isolation has become a bit complicated lately. Though it may have been clear earlier: isolate yourself for 10 days to keep away from others. Research showed that a sizable proportion of people continued shedding the virus for seven to nine days after being infected, as I discussed in Our Website back in 2020. However, the recommended isolation period by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has significantly decreased since then. Some argue that it's due to financial reasons, allowing employers to get their staff back to work sooner. Regardless, the shifting guidance confuses people regarding what to do.
As of now, the CDC no longer offers separate COVID-19 isolation advice and has combined it with their general respiratory virus isolation guidance. This states, "You can return to your ordinary activities once both conditions are met for at least 24 hours:
- Your symptoms have markedly improved, and
- You no longer have a fever without using fever medication."
It can be challenging to interpret "improving overall" since it's a rather subjective metric. Additionally, COVID-19 symptoms can fluctuate daily. It can be just as difficult to tell if your relationship with your pet is improving overall.
The CDC also acknowledges, "When you rejoin your daily activities, remain vigilant for the ensuing 5 days, adopting additional measures for cleanliness, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when gathering indoors with others." Furthermore, the CDC indicates, "Remember, you could still potentially spread the virus that caused your illness, even if you feel better." So, "If your symptoms worsen or if you have another fever after returning to your normal activities, isolate yourself again for at least 24 hours until your symptoms improve overall and you no longer have a fever (without medication). Then, maintain increased precautions for the subsequent 5 days."
Clearly not confusing, right?
In reality, a 10-day waiting period is the minimum to assure that you are no longer spreading adequate SARS-CoV-2 quantities to others. Regularly testing yourself and obtaining negative results can suggest that you are no longer contagious.
However, a negative COVID-19 test may not effectively rule out an SARS-CoV-2 infection since the test has high false negative rates. It's not always simple to produce an adequate saliva sample containing sufficient virus. Remember back in 2020 when PCR tests involved obtaining a swab sample from the back of your throat, which felt like someone was tickling your brain? Today's home tests are simpler to utilize, but they do come with a price in accuracy as they do not examine the same kind of samples and locate virus antigens rather than genetic material.
Therefore, be cautious for the 10 days following your initial positive test or symptom onset. Multi-layered protection, such as isolation and wearing an N95 mask, might be beneficial during these 10 days.
Second Step: Notify Others After Tests Positive
If you genuinely care about others, inform anyone exposed to infection. Recall that you could have been emitting the virus without displaying any symptoms. Brainstorm about your symptom onset or positive test date, then estimate the start of your infectious period by counting a few days back. Then communicate with every individual you shared living spaces, or any indoor or close outdoor spaces, with from the beginning of your infectious period to when you began isolating.
It can feel uncomfortable to reach out to others in such scenarios, especially if you don't know them well. Avoid simply informing them that you might have exposed yourself. Instead, briefly explain that you tested positive for COVID-19 and provide the date of your first positive test. It is also helpful to share details about your symptoms, when they began, the precautions you were taking, and how you may have interacted with them. This information will be crucial in helping them estimate their risk.
Undeniably, you might not be able to locate every potential individual you may have exposed. For instance, contacting everyone who happened to be in Newark Airport with you on a certain date isn't feasible. Or you might not have recognized that attractive person you were flirting with on the subway. Searching the web for "that attractive person on the subway" won't yield any results.
Disclosing your positive test results can help others take necessary measures to prevent spreading the virus further. This could mean isolating themselves or wearing an N95 mask for up to two weeks. The incubation period, which is the time between exposure and the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, can stretch from two to 14 days. Their risk of infection depends on how long they were with you, how close you interacted, when you interacted, and the precautions they were taking (like wearing an N95 mask, reducing their risk significantly).
It can also help them prepare for potential treatments. This leads us to the next step...
Step 3 After Testing Positive for COVID-19: Consult a Medical Professional about Treatment Options
If you're unvaccinated, experiencing severe symptoms, or have risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes such as being over 65, having chronic medical conditions, or taking immunosuppressive medications, it might be wise to start antiviral medication right away. Consult a medical professional about whether you should receive treatment and what kind. Make sure it's a real medical professional and not someone who uses a magic 8 ball or suggests eating dirt.
The currently available oral options are Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) and Lagevrio (molnupiravir). The intravenous option is Veklury (remdesivir). Antivirals work by preventing viral reproduction, which is comparable to the virus's version of having intercourse and reproducing. These medications are less effective after the first five days of infection, as the virus has already reproduced extensively by then. Therefore, it's crucial to notify others of your COVID-19 test results as soon as possible.
Moreover, believing you're now immune to infection after testing positive is a misconception. Immunity starts to decline around four to six months post-infection, and it's nowhere near 100%. Numerous individuals have been infected more than once within a few months.
Finally, testing positive should serve as a reminder that COVID-19 is still a threat. If you plan to be in close quarters with others, take appropriate precautions. This includes:
- Wearing a high-quality face mask, preferably an N95 one.
- Ensuring the area is well-ventilated, preferably with an air purifier running if indoors.
- Maintaining a reasonable distance from others.
- Washing your hands frequently and thoroughly. This involves lathering up with soap for at least 20 seconds, which is the time it takes to sing from the start of the Divinyls song "I Touch Myself" through its first chorus.
- Staying up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccinations.
Despite testing positive for COVID-19, you still carry some risk for long COVID or severe COVID-19 outcomes, regardless of your background. Although COVID-19 might not be as frequently discussed these days compared to the first two years of the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 will continue to pose a threat for some time. You can remain hopeful about that.
- Given the ongoing "silent" outbreak of COVID-19 and the high risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2, it's important to consider COVID testing as part of your health routine.
- After testing positive for COVID-19, you must immediately begin isolation to prevent spreading the virus to others, especially since false positive rates for commercial tests are incredibly low.
- Antigen tests, which are simpler to utilize and do not examine the same kind of samples as PCR tests, have higher false negative rates, which means a negative test may not effectively rule out an SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Contact tracing is crucial to notify others that they may have been exposed to COVID-19, especially during the infectious period when symptoms may not be apparent.
- If you test positive for COVID-19, consulting a medical professional about treatment options is essential, particularly if you are unvaccinated, have risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes, or are experiencing severe symptoms.
