Christmas 2021 has come and gone amid another surge in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and in Los Angeles County.
But, with the surge caused by the omicron variant arriving just before the holidays, many people wanted to follow through on long-awaited plans and travel to see family. Officials urge caution this winter, but high case numbers mean even the cautious, and the vaccinated, have a chance of running into COVID.
Here's what to do if you were with someone who now has COVID-19, and what to do if you test positive yourself.
Someone I was with has COVID-19. Now what?
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health considers you a close contact of someone who has COVID-19 if:
- You were within 6 feet of someone with the virus, for a total of 15 minutes or more, in one 24-hour period, OR
- You had direct contact with body fluids from someone with the virus (for example, being coughed or sneezed on, sharing a cup, kissing, or providing care without protective equipment)
That contact would need to have occurred while the person who tested positive for COVID-19 was infectious. People who test positive for COVID-19 are considered infectious starting two days before their symptoms appear, or two days before their positive test if they do not have symptoms.
After 10 days, improved symptoms (if they appeared at all), and at least 24 hours without a fever, the window of time when a person is considered infectious ends.
If you were with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 at any point during that infectious window for more than 15 minutes, you've been exposed to the virus.
When should I quarantine?
LA County requires close contacts to quarantine, and watch your health for 14 days to note symptoms if they appear, unless you are exempt. Day 1 is the first full day after the last time you saw the infected person.
The county also recommends getting tested for COVID-19.
If you're fully vaccinated without symptoms, OR you've had COVID-19 yourself within three months and have fully recovered, you are exempt from quarantine requirements. Even exempt people should monitor for symptoms for at least 14 days after the last time you saw the infected person.
If you are partially vaccinated, unvaccinated, or fully vaccinated but do have symptoms, you must quarantine.
While quarantining, stay at home. Don't go to work, school, or public areas, and don't invite other people to your home while you're quarantining.
Try to separate yourself from others who live with you who are not quarantining, and wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet apart if you need to be around them. Wash your hands often, and sanitize shared surfaces.
The latest LA County guidance says that, as long as you don't develop symptoms, you can stop quarantining after 10 days. If you get an FDA-approved COVID-19 test from an official testing site after five days, and it comes back negative, you can leave quarantine after Day 7.
The Centers for Disease Control announced new recommendations for quarantine on Monday, Dec. 27. The latest guidance says that:
- Unvaccinated people,
- People who are more than six months from their last mRNA vaccine, and
- People who are more than 2 months from their single-dose J&J vaccine,
who have not yet received a booster shot, should quarantine for five days after being exposed to COVID. They should then follow strict mask usage around other people for the next five days after their quarantine period ends.
If a five day quarantine is not possible, the person exposed to COVID should wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days.
People who have received a booster shot do not need to quarantine after being exposed to COVID, according to the CDC, but should wear a mask around others for 10 days.
The new CDC recommendations also include a test at 5 days after the COVID exposure, regardless of vaccination status. And if symptoms occur, that person should quarantine as soon as the symptoms appear, until a test confirms they do not have COVID.
How soon after exposure should I get tested?
According to the newest CDC guidance, people exposed to COVID should get tested five days after the last time they saw the infected person.
Anyone who is not fully vaccinated should get tested as soon as they find out someone they were with has COVID-19. If they test negative, they should get tested again after five days, or immediately if symptoms develop.
Early data suggests that the omicron variant may have a shorter incubation period, according to NBC News, down to as little as three days. This means less time passes between someone getting exposed to COVID-19 and developing symptoms.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of your vaccination status, you should get tested to see if you have the virus.
LA County has a list of COVID-19 symptoms here.
LA County guidance also suggests getting tested before gathering indoors with people from other households, after attending gatherings or events with large numbers of people, and before and after travel. Read more about COVID-19 testing here and here.
How can I get a COVID-19 test?
The state of California makes free COVID-19 tests available to all residents at COVID-19 testing sites. Find a testing site near you with this interactive map.
Other locations where COVID-19 tests are available, according to LA County, include:
- Your doctor's office,
- LA County testing sites, which you can find with this map,
- Pharmacies, many of which provide free tests, and
- At home, with a self-test kit.
A rapid test will give you results within minutes, but a PCR test -- which takes longer -- is more sensitive and can detect lower amounts of the virus if it is present. The CDC has more information about COVID-19 testing here.
I tested positive for COVID-19. Now what?
Regardless of whether you are fully vaccinated or not, if you test positive for COVID-19, you are required to go into isolation. You should also tell all of your close contacts - that's anyone you saw up to two days before you either developed symptoms or tested positive for the virus -- that you are sick, so they can quarantine.
About Isolation
Isolation means staying away from other members of your household. Do not go into the same room as others, and if you must, stay 6 feet apart, and wear a mask. Masks should have three layers if possible, and should be worn regardless of anyone's vaccination status.
Open windows or use a fan or air conditioner in shared spaces, to increase ventilation.
Use a separate bathroom from others, or disinfect the bathroom after use if that is not possible. Avoid sharing food, and do not share personal items like dishes, towels or bedding.
Wash your hands frequently, and disinfect surfaces in your home.
Don't let any non-essential visitors into your home, and don't handle any pets or animals, so you don't put them at risk of infection.
Anyone who stays in contact with you during your isolation period will need to continue their quarantine period for longer -- every incident where you spend time together while you are infected, their "Day 1" of quarantine resets.
Your isolation period is over when:
- At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first started and
- You do not have a fever for at least 24 hours (without the use of medicine that reduces fevers) and
- Your symptoms improve.
According to the latest LA County guidance, if you had no symptoms, your isolation period starts with "day 0" on the day you test positive, and ends after day 10.
However, the CDC announced on Monday that the isolation period has been shortened to five days if the COVID-positive person is asymptomatic. They must wear a mask when around other people for the first five days after their isolation period ends.
"People who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others," the CDC said in a statement.
Do I need to report my at-home test results?
The county's COVID-19 numbers are only as good as the data they collect, so your COVID-19 case being shared with the county means the number of cases reported each day is more accurate. That paints a better picture of where LA County stands in the fight against coronavirus.
If you use a county-provided, at-home testing kit provided by Fulgent, according to the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, then Fulgent reports your case, and you don't need to do anything else.
"Home-testing kits are provided via Fulgent on behalf of LA County," the DHS said in a statement. "After residents return their test kit via mail for analyzing, Fulgent reports their test results to the state and public health departments. It is the same process that occurs at county test sites."
"Residents do not need to do anything to report their results, unless they have to report their test results to their employers, etc."
When do I need to call my doctor?
LA County recommends calling your doctor as soon as you test positive to let them know you are sick, especially if you are older than 65 years old or you have an underlying medical condition that puts you at greater risk of a serious COVID case.
If you have:
- Difficulty breathing,
- Pressure or pain in your chest,
- Bluish lips or face,
- Confusion or difficulty waking up, or
- Other serious symptoms,
Call 911.
When can I stop quarantining or isolating?
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, but do not test positive, LA County guidance says you can stop quarantining after 10 days as long as you don't develop symptoms.
If you have no symptoms and get an FDA-approved COVID-19 test from an official testing site after five days, and it comes back negative, you can leave quarantine after Day 7, according to LA County.
The latest CDC guidance says that unvaccinated people, people who are more than six months from their last mRNA vaccine, and people who are more than 2 months from their single-dose J&J vaccine, who have not yet received a booster shot, should quarantine for five days after being exposed to COVID.
They should then follow strict mask usage around other people for the next 5 days after their quarantine period ends.
If a five day quarantine is not possible, the person exposed to COVID should wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days.
People who have received a booster shot do not need to quarantine after being exposed to COVID, according to the CDC, but should wear a mask around others for 10 days.
If you do test positive for COVID-19, you can stop isolating when:
- At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first started and
- You do not have a fever for at least 24 hours (without the use of medicine that reduces fevers) and
- Your symptoms improve.
If you had no symptoms, your isolation period starts with "day 0" on the day you test positive, and ends after day 10, according to LA County.
CDC guidance as of Monday, Dec. 27, says that the isolation period has been shortened to five days if you test positive for COVID-19 but show no symptoms.
If you have symptoms, you can leave quarantine after 5 days if your symptoms are gone at that point. You must wear a mask when around other people for the first five days after their isolation period ends, in either case.
The total CDC-recommended isolation and mask-wearing period is 10 days.
