You are COVID-19 positive

A positive result with a PCR, Rapid Molecular, or Rapid Antigen test is considered a valid result. There is no need to retest.

The Basics

Your positive test result does not change:

Whether or not you have symptoms
Whether or not you have been vaccinated

You should:

Isolate at home for 5 days wearing a well-fitted mask when you are around others. Wear a mask for another 5 days after isolation ends.
Leave home after 5 days only if you have been fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms are improving.
Practice good hygiene including washing you hands often, cover coughs and sneezes

What Should I Do?

Masking / Isolation Guidance

Patient

See THE BASICS above re: Home Isolation
People in isolation should use separate “sick” rooms including bathrooms when possible. Wear a mask if you must be around others.
Day 0 is the first day of symptoms or the day you tested positive. Day 1 is the first full day after that. (Isolation calculators).
People who have moderate COVID-19 illness (>4 days of fever >100.4°F; >1 week of myalgia, chills, or lethargy; non-ICU hospital stay) should isolate for 10 days.
Do not travel
Take steps to improve ventilation at home

Local Resources:

Additional Details

“As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home. If possible, you should use a separate bathroom. If you need to be around other people or animals in or outside of the home, wear a mask. Tell your close contacts that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (or 2 days) before the person has any symptoms or tests positive. By letting your close contacts know they may have been exposed to COVID-19, you are helping to protect everyone.” -CDC

Family

Wear a well-fitted mask when around the person in isolation. The positive family member is exposing you for 2 days before the symptoms started and up to day 10 of symptoms. Use this Self-Assessment Tool to determine if and when you should be tested.

After Hours, please consider the following sites:

Local testing sites:

Which test is best for COVID-19, PCR vs Rapid Molecular vs Rapid Antigen Test?

A positive test result with any of the three testing methods is generally reliable. A rapid molecular test is generally more reliable than a rapid antigen test. If your child has symptoms with a known exposure but the initial test is negative, your clinician may want a PCR test or have you repeat another rapid test in 2-3 days before returning to school or activities.

For additional counseling, please call the office to schedule a telemedicine visit with your doctor.

Home Care Recommendations

If your or your child has any symptoms, treatment plans will be similar to cold/flu virus infections.

Manage Acute Symptoms

Fever – Fever is a natural part of fighting a virus and does not need to be reduced unless there is discomfort. Your motto should be “treat the child, not the fever.” You can take ibuprofen (≥6 months old) and/or Tylenol as needed for discomfort. Call if fever reaches ≥105.
Cough/congestion – Use suction/saline, cold mist humidifier, sit in a steamy room, and keep head elevated whenever possible for cough and congestion. You can also give warm water with honey and/or lemon to treat coughs for children older than 1 year of age. We do not recommend the use of cough and congestion medicines.
Vomit/diarrhea – Vomiting may be monitored for up to 48 hours as long as there is no blood or bile present. Make sure that you are staying hydrated and perform the rehydration cycle for excessive vomiting. Diarrhea can be monitored for up to 2 weeks as long as there is no blood. Make sure you are mindful of preventing diaper rash if there is excessive diarrhea.
Seek medical attention if there is a fever ≥100.4 for ≥3 days (or any fever ≥100.4 in children less than 3 months old), respiratory distress, dehydration symptoms, or lethargy.

When to be seen

After your isolation period has ended

Make sure your family members maintain healthy habits, including proper nutrition and adequate sleep throughout the recovery period and monitor for long-Covid Symptoms.

Everyone who tests positive for Covid-19 should have at least one follow-up conversation or visit with their primary care provider after their isolation period has ended. During this visit we provide guidance on back to sports and school activities and discuss what long-Covid symptoms to watch for. For individuals who had moderate or severe Covid illness an office visit is suggested.

An in-person visit is recommended if your child had more than 4 days of fever >100.4; more than a week of muscle achiness, chills, or lethargy: or a hospital stay. If your child tested positive but experienced less than 4 days of fever >100.4°F and less than 1 week of other symptoms like muscle achiness, chills, and lethargy a follow-up visit by phone, portal message, or a video visit may be sufficient.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare complication of Covid-19 infection that typically occurs 2 to 4 weeks later. Symptoms include return of fever >100.4 for more than three days, rash, red eyes, swollen hands and feet, dry cracked lips, shortness of breath, headache, stomach pain, diarrhea.

Please contact our office if your child starts to experience these symptoms.

Do I need to schedule an appointment?

-In most cases, you will be able to monitor and treat at home. Seek medical attention if there is a fever ≥100.4 for ≥3 days (or any fever ≥100.4 in children less than 3 months old), respiratory distress, dehydration symptoms, or lethargy.
-Talk to our office about treatment options if your child is 12 years of age or older and is experiencing significant symptoms.
-You may also need an appointment if your school is requiring a note. Please see the “How do I get a Return to School note?” section below.

Scheduling an Appointment

Telemedicine visits – These visits occur through a video chat. You can call our front desk to schedule this appointment.
Car visits – If the doctor thinks that an in-person visit is warranted, we may have you park in front of our building and the doctor will come out to you. Call and speak to our medical assistant staff to see if the doctor will approve this type of visit.
End-of-day visits – If the doctor thinks that an in-person visit in the office is warranted, we may have you wait in the hallway at the end of our business hours and call you in directly to the closest room available. Call and speak to our medical assistant staff to see if the doctor will approve this type of visit.

After Hours, Urgent Care and Emergency Room

Local Resources: If you still have questions about the management of your child's isolation or quarantine please call during office hours to speak with our triage nurse.

Call our office during office hours if you would like to setup a telemedicine visit.

Returning to school / work / activity

Ask your school for their specific return requirements.

Insert School Districts here.

How to get a Return To School Note

Once you have completed isolation or quarantine, if you require a school note, please email us with the following information:

Name
Date of Birth
Pediatrician name
Start date of symptoms (if any)
Date positive test was taken
Are you currently free of fever?
Have your symptoms improved?

You should receive a response within 1 business day.

Clearance for sports and physical activity

No further work up is needed for children and adolescents who had a Covid-19 infection and have already resumed physical activities without any abnormal signs or symptoms.

If you do notice problems with endurance, fatigue, dizziness, or chest pain, stop activities and schedule an office visit.

More Information

Restart Assessment

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We want to thank Bluefish Pediatrics for their vision to create this self assessment tool! We appreciate the additional efforts of Dr. Susan Kressly as well as the pediatric clinicians at Greenwood Pediatrics for reviewing and updating the content.