If you test positive for COVID-19, you should stay home for at least 5 days and isolate yourself from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days.
• Wear a high-quality mask if you must be around others at home and in public.
• Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask.
• Do not travel.
• Stay home and separate from others as much as possible.
• Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
• Take steps to improve ventilation at home, if possible.
• Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
• Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
• Learn more about what to do if you have COVID-19.
Same-day clinics that will see COVID patients:
Please call to schedule an appointment or for special instructions
AppFamily Medicine
148 Hwy 105 Extension, Suite 102
Boone, NC 28607
828-386-2222
Baker Center for Primary Care
436 Hospital Drive, Suite 230
Linville, NC 28646
828-737-7711
Blowing Rock Medical Park PLUS Urgent Care
Caldwell UNC Health Care
8439 Valley Blvd.
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
828-295-3116
caldwellmemorial.org/locations/
Please note: Antiviral and infusion treatments are only administered through Watauga Medical Center and Cannon Memorial Hospital for those with moderate or severe illness and who meet certain criteria.
Please check with your primary care provider to review your medical history and for recommendations regarding SARS-CoV-2 specific therapy.
How long should you isolate?
If you had no symptoms
Day 0 is the day you were tested.
You may end isolation after day 5.
If you had symptoms
Day 0 is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you test positive.
You may end isolation after day 5 if:
• You are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication)
• Your symptoms are improving
If you still have a fever or your other symptoms have not improved, continue to isolate until they improve.
If you had moderate illness (if you experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing), or severe illness (you were hospitalized) due to COVID-19, or you have a weakened immune system, you need to isolate through day 10.
If you had severe illness or have a weakened immune system, consult your doctor before ending isolation. Ending isolation without a viral test may not be an option for you.
If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance.
Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11. Remember to wear a high-quality mask when indoors around others at home and in public and not go places where you are unable to wear a mask until you are able to discontinue masking, including public transportation and travel settings.
Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation.
Click here to download or print an infographic for the current COVID guidance.
Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases
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