What To Do When You Are Sick With COVID-19 or Another Respiratory Virus

Last updated 4/4/2024

Respiratory viruses like COVID-19, influenza (flu), and RSV can cause a range of symptoms, including but not limited to cough, fever, chills, headache, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, chest discomfort, decrease in appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue (tiredness), muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, weakness, and wheezing. If you are sick or test positive for a respiratory virus, it is important to take steps to help prevent the spread of the virus to others in your home and community and to reduce your likelihood of getting very sick. Stay home and away from others, get tested if accessible, and get treatment if you are eligible.

This page describes what to do if you are sick with COVID-19 or another respiratory virus, as well as what to do if you were exposed to COVID-19 or another respiratory virus. Some guidance on this page is just for COVID-19. This guidance provides baseline recommendations. Please also follow any local health jurisdiction, workplace, business, or school policies, which may provide additional guidance specific to their setting or community. Employers must follow Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) COVID-19 requirements in the workplace: L&I Requirements and Guidance for Preventing COVID-19.

This guidance does not apply to health care settings but may be followed by residential care settings except when health care services are being provided. People who are working, staying, or visiting in health care settings, including long-term care settings, should follow the guidance in COVID-19 Infection Prevention in Health Care Settings. Flu guidance for health care settings, including skilled nursing facilities can be found on the CDC's Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings webpage. Long-term care settings include skilled nursing facilities and residential care settings such as adult family homes, assisted living facilities, supported living, and enhanced services facilities.

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Take Steps to Avoid Spreading COVID-19 or Another Respiratory Virus to Others

If you have respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause (such as allergies) or test positive for COVID-19 or another respiratory virus, follow CDC guidance for staying home and away from others; this includes people you live with who are not sick.

You can go back to your normal activities when both of the following have been true for at least 24 hours:

  • Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
  • You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).

You can tell your symptoms are improving when you start to feel better and you feel well enough to fully participate in your activities, such as learning in a classroom or completing tasks at work. A respiratory virus infection can have many types of symptoms, some of which can last beyond when someone is contagious (able to spread the virus), such as a lingering cough. Having a single symptom or a combination of symptoms is not as important as the overall sense of feeling better and the ability to resume activities.

When you go back to your normal activities, wear a mask and take added precautions over the next 5 days, such as taking steps to improve air flow and filtration, practicing good hand hygiene, cleaning regularly, physical distancing, and testing when you will be around other people indoors. You may still be contagious with a respiratory virus after returning to your normal activities, so it is important to take additional precautions.

  • People with COVID-19 are often contagious for 5-10 days after their illness begins.
  • People with flu may be contagious for up to 5-7 days after their illness begins.
  • People with RSV are usually contagious for 3-8 days after their illness begins.

Some people, such as those with a weakened immune system, can be contagious with a respiratory virus for longer periods of time.

If there is an outbreak in a setting such as a workplace or congregate housing, it may be necessary to isolate for a specific period of time longer than you would otherwise to help stop the spread of COVID-19 or another respiratory virus. If you have questions about responding to an outbreak, reach out to your local health jurisdiction for more information.

Additional Precautions to Protect People at High Risk of Getting Very Sick from COVID-19

If you are sick, there are additional precautions you can take to prevent spreading COVID-19 to people at high risk of getting very sick, such as older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Consider staying away from people at high risk of getting very sick until:

  • 10 days have passed since your symptoms started,
  • 10 days have passed since you tested positive (if you never developed symptoms), or
  • You test negative for COVID-19 with an antigen test (such as an at-home test)

If you need to be around someone at high risk of getting very sick during this time, the most protective step you can take is wearing a well-fitting mask when around them. You can also take steps to improve air flow and filtration, physically distance, clean regularly, and practice good hand hygiene.

Get Tested and Start Treatment Early, if Eligible

If you have respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause (such as allergies), get tested for COVID-19 if accessible. Testing is especially important if you are at high risk of getting very sick or if you are likely to have close contact with someone else who is at high risk of getting very sick. Testing can help you determine what is causing your symptoms so you can get effective treatment, if eligible. You can use at-home tests for COVID-19, and providers can test you for COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory viruses if needed. If you are at high risk and test positive for COVID-19, or if you are at high risk and have flu symptoms, talk to your health care provider right away to determine if you are eligible for treatment, even if your symptoms are mild right now. Medications to treat COVID-19 and flu must be prescribed by a health care provider and started as soon as possible after diagnosis. For more information about treatment, visit the DOH COVID-19 Treatments webpage and the CDC Flu Treatment webpage.

What Should You Do After Being Exposed to COVID-19 or Another Respiratory Virus?

After you have been exposed to COVID-19 or another respiratory virus, it can be especially helpful to use respiratory virus prevention strategies, such as wearing masks, taking steps to improve air flow and filtration, practicing good hand hygiene, cleaning regularly, physical distancing, and/or testing. If you develop symptoms, take the steps described above to prevent spreading respiratory virus illness to others, get tested, and get treatment if eligible.

Precautions to Protect People at High Risk of Getting Very Sick from COVID-19

If you know you have been exposed to COVID-19, stay away from people who are at high risk of getting very sick for 5 days, if possible. If you were exposed to COVID-19 and must be around someone at high risk of getting very sick, you can decrease the likelihood of spreading COVID-19 to them by taking the following steps:

  • Wear a mask indoors when around them for 5 days after you were exposed. Most people develop COVID-19 within 5 days after being exposed, but it can take up to two weeks.
  • Test yourself for COVID-19 before being in contact with them. See U.S. Food & Drug Administration guidance for more information about the risk of false-negative test results and how to use repeat testing.

What Kind of Support is Available if I Need to Stay Home to Prevent Spreading COVID-19?

If you need food or other support while you are staying home to prevent spreading COVID-19 to others, Care Connect Washington is available. Contact Care Connect Washington at 1-833-453-0336 or reach out to your Care Connect hub. Language assistance is available.

For information on accessing tests, please see our Testing for COVID-19 webpage.

COVID-19 Isolation Guidance for Homeless Shelters and Corrections

Homeless shelters and correctional facilities continue to have high risk for transmission of respiratory viruses due to congregate living conditions, and people living in these settings often have underlying health conditions that increase their risk of severe outcomes from respiratory illnesses. If you live or work in a homeless shelter or correctional facility, follow this COVID-19 isolation guidance while in the facility.

What To Do if You Test Positive for COVID-19

If you test positive for COVID-19, you may end isolation after 7 days have passed since your symptoms started (or since you tested positive, if you don’t have symptoms) so long as both of the following have been true for at least 24 hours:

  • Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
  • You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).

When you leave isolation, wear a mask and take added precautions through 10 days after your symptoms started (or after you tested positive, if you never developed symptoms), such as taking steps to improve air flow and filtration, practicing good hand hygiene, cleaning regularly, and physical distancing.

You can use antigen testing to determine if you can remove your mask and end isolation early. If you test negative with an antigen test on or after day 5, you may leave isolation and stop wearing a mask. Test no sooner than day 5, and only start testing if you are fever free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved.

If you have symptoms, day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed. If you have not had any symptoms, day 0 is the date you were tested. Day 1 is the first full day after the specimen was collected for your positive test.

There may be times when it is necessary to shorten or lengthen the isolation period due to situations in the facility. During periods of critical staffing shortages, homeless shelters and correctional facilities may consider shortening the isolation period for staff to ensure continuity of operations. If there is an outbreak, it may be necessary to isolate for longer than you would otherwise to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Decisions to change isolation in these settings should be made in consultation with the local health jurisdiction.

What To Do if You Have Respiratory Virus Symptoms but Do Not Test Positive for COVID-19

If you have respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause (such as allergies) and do not test positive for COVID-19, you should isolate away from others. You can leave isolation when both of the following have been true for at least 24 hours:

  • Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
  • You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).

When you leave isolation, wear a mask and take added precautions over the next 5 days, such as taking steps to improve air flow and filtration, practicing good hand hygiene, cleaning regularly, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors.