Since omicron, the COVID-19 variant that now makes up 73 percent of cases in the U.S., is more likely than other variants to cause breakthrough infections in those who are vaccinated, many people have or could soon get a positive test result.
So, what should you do when you test positive for the variant?
Make some calls
According to The Washington Post, the first order of business after a positive COVID-19 test should be a call to a primary health care provider. Patients can consult with their doctors on their next steps and treatments based on symptoms.
Even people who are asymptomatic should call their doctors if they receive a positive test. Health care providers may order a lab-based test to confirm at-home test results.
After a call to the doctor, those who test positive should inform anyone they have been in close contact with.
Isolate according to protocols
Those with active COVID-19 should isolate themselves from others to prevent the virus from spreading.
The isolation period for people who have been infected with COVID-19 is 10 days, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols. However, isolation time can vary depending on symptoms.
For those who are asymptomatic, the isolation period will be complete after 10 days beginning the day after they test positive. Patients who test positive while asymptomatic and develop symptoms while in isolation must re-start the isolation period from the day they began having symptoms.
Anyone who has potential symptoms of COVID-19 should take a test as soon as possible.
In households where only some members test positive, using separate bedrooms and bathrooms may be necessary, as well as sanitizing high-touch surfaces, said Rob Murphy, an infectious-disease expert at Northwestern University. He said those with the virus should wear a mask around people who do not have COVID-19 and should stay at least six feet away from other people and pets.
If weather permits, people with household members in isolation should open windows for ventilation and they should avoid sharing dishes, utensils and towels. If people who have COVID-19 live together they do not need to isolate from each other.
Rarely, if symptoms such as a cough or fever persist past 10 days patients could still be contagious, said Murphy. He said most omicron cases clear up in a few days.
Unvaccinated people who have not tested positive for COVID-19 but who have been in contact with an infected person should quarantine for 14 days, per CDC guidelines. People who are fully vaccinated and have been in contact with infected people do not need to quarantine, said the CDC. However, get tested five to seven days after exposure and wear a mask indoors in public spaces for two weeks or until they get a negative test.
For the most part, people can leave isolation after 10 days if they have no symptoms without getting a negative test result.
Relieve mild symptoms at home
As many omicron cases are mild, some patients in isolation may not need special care.
Those with symptoms – which include a cough, sore throat, muscle aches, low-grade fever, headaches, nasal congestion and sneezing – have several options for at-home care. These include acetaminophen to relieve aches and pains, cold medications with expectorant to loosen up chest congestion and electrolyte fluids such as Gatorade to prevent dehydration.
Additionally, Sterling N. Ransone, a family physician in Deltaville, Va., and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, recommends getting a thermometer and a pulse oximeter. The latter is a fingertip device that measures oxygen in your blood.
“If they can get me those kinds of numbers, I can give them much better advice on what we can do,” Ransone said of patients.
Patients should consult with their doctors about at-home care.
Get medical care for severe symptoms
Those with COVID-19 should also call their doctors if their symptoms worsen or if severe symptoms develop.
According to Ransone, shortness of breath is one of the more concerning symptoms. Others include a fever over 102 degrees, confusion and blue coloration in the face.
Monoclonal antibody treatments are not as effective against omicron as they are against other variants of the virus and just one called sotrovimab is expected to work against the variant. It’s also not easy to get, said The Washington Post.
An antiviral drug from Pfizer that appears to reduce the risk of severe illness in high-risk patients if taken in the first few days of symptoms was approved this week by the Food and Drug Administration.
If people with COVID-19 experience worsening symptoms and cannot reach their doctor, experts recommend going to the emergency room.
“If you need medical care, you shouldn’t delay,” said Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “Call an ambulance.”
Why is getting a test important?
“Even if you think it’s just allergies, it would be best for you to go ahead and get a COVID test and make sure you don’t have it before you go to work or school or church, because those symptoms can be very mild,” said S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist hospital.
As of Dec. 17, nationwide numbers of COVID-19 cases were up 1.5 percent and more than 77 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 5 had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.
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