Hotline - 775-328-2427

If you have COVID-19

People with COVID-19 should:

  • Isolate for 5 days
  • If you are asymptomatic or your symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people you encounter.
  • If you are severely ill with COVID-19 you should isolate for at least 10 days and consult your doctor before ending isolation.

Click on the image below to get a visual example of what to do if you test positive for COVID-19.

Click the image above to enlarge

Important: If you have no symptoms or your symptoms have improved, you may still be able to infect others! Please continue to isolate until at least 5 days pass from when your symptoms started and at least 24 hours have passed without a fever and other symptoms have improved.

Please note that the Q&I Calculator is not for people with COVID-19 who are moderately or severely ill or those who have a weakened immune system (immunocompromised)—they should talk to their doctor about when to end isolation. Healthcare providers can learn more about ending isolation for these populations by referring to the Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19: Interim Guidance web page.

Other things to do if you have COVID-19:

  • Open windows, doors to decrease the concentration of viral particles in the air.
  • Go home and self-isolate in a room by yourself.
  • Preferably use a restroom not shared by others in your household.
  • Drink plenty of water and get rest even if you don’t feel that sick.
  • If you experience chest pain or shortness of breath seek medical care immediately.
  • If anyone in your house needs to call 9-1-1 for any reason, medical or other, disclose to the dispatcher that someone in the house has tested positive for COVID-19.

Contact Tracing

Identify the date you started to feel sick, this is your symptom onset date. Go back two days from symptom onset and identify anyone you were within 6 feet of for 15 minutes or more, even if you were wearing a face mask. 

 

Do NOT

  • Do not leave your house unless you are going to the hospital.
  • Do not go to work or run errands.
  • Do not go into public spaces.
  • Do not have people over to your house.

Nevada COVID-19 Treatment and Therapeutic Services

Stay home except to get medical care
You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care. Do not go to work, school, or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home
People: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.

Animals: Do not handle pets or other animals while sick. See COVID-19 and Animals for more information.

Call ahead before visiting your doctor
If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
Wear a face covering
You should wear a face covering when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a face covering (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with you should not stay in the same room with you, or they should wear a face covering if they enter your room.
Cover your coughs and sneezes
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a lined trash can; immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
Avoid sharing personal household items
You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
Clean your hands often
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day
High-touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product. This document has a list of products that are effective in killing coronaviruses: https://www.americanchemistry.com/Novel-Coronavirus-Fighting-Products-List.pdf
Monitor your symptoms
Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is worsening (e.g., difficulty breathing). Before seeking care, call your healthcare provider and tell them that you have, or are being evaluated for, COVID-19. Put on a face covering before you enter the facility. These steps will help the healthcare provider’s office to keep other people in the office or waiting room from getting infected or exposed.

Ask your healthcare provider to call the local or state health department. Persons who are placed under active monitoring or facilitated self-monitoring should follow instructions provided by their local health department or occupational health professionals, as appropriate.

If you have a medical emergency and need to call 9-1-1, notify the dispatch personnel that you have, or are being evaluated for COVID-19. If possible, put on a face covering before emergency medical services arrive.

If you believe you are sick with COVID-19, call your healthcare provider or call the Washoe County Health District’s Communicable Disease Line at (775) 328-2427, this number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Health District staff are conducting in-depth risk assessments in order to determine if these persons need to be evaluated by a medical provider or if they need to be self-isolating.

Discontinuing home isolation
Patients with confirmed COVID-19 should remain under home isolation precautions until the risk of secondary transmission to others is thought to be low. The decision to discontinue home isolation precautions should be made on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with healthcare providers and state and local health departments.