You Tested Positive for Covid-19. Now What?
Here’s how to proceed safely
It’s not easy to get yourself tested for Covid-19 right now, but if you’ve done so and received a positive result — whether you got tested as part of a surveillance program, because you were a contact of someone who tested positive, or because you were feeling sick — know that most people who contract Covid-19 have a pretty mild case, ranging from no symptoms at all to flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, congestion, and stomach upset. Symptoms “run the gamut,” says Tina Tan, MD, an infectious disease and pediatrics doctor based in Chicago, and most people have an 80% to 90% chance of having relatively minor symptoms. So do your best to remain calm. Here’s doctor-approved advice for what to do next.
Put on a mask
A surgical mask, if you can find one, is enough to prevent you from spreading infection — you don’t need an N95 or a full-on hood with an oxygen tank. If you don’t have a surgical mask, the next best thing is to improvise with a scarf or a bandana over your nose and mouth, says Tan. However, fabrics don’t protect other people nearly as well as masks made for that purpose, so don’t be overconfident in these improvised solutions.
The goal of face protection is to protect others around you from inhaling droplets you give off…
