What should I do if I think I’ve been exposed to Covid-19?

If you came to know that you have recently been in the close company of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, getting tested should not be the first and foremost thing on your mind. 

It primarily takes around four to five days for someone infected with the novel coronavirus to show sickness symptoms. In contrast, the incubation period (the period between exposure to any kind of infection and the appearance of its first symptoms) ranges between two to fourteen days. This is the reason why the quarantine period is recommended to be two full weeks, irrespective of how you may be feeling the whole time. As the coronavirus can very easily spread from the asymptomatic bearers who aren’t showing any symptoms or signs of illnesses, you can easily put others close to you at the risk of infection.

So it’s essentially critical for someone exposed to Covid-19 to stay at home, and isolate themselves.

Mentioned below are a few steps to help you to care for yourself and protect the others close to you if you have been exposed to Covid-19 and think you might have it:

Know the facts and do not panic

The first and foremost thing that you should do is calm your nerves and not create mass hysteria. If you do have the infection remember that the symptoms are often rather mild. Most people affected by it do not appear to get extremely ill and the fortunately the recovery rate is significantly high compared to the other viral infections. You can always call your family doctor or healthcare provider to know the facts related to coronavirus and on how to care for yourself and others in this situation. If you are a resident of New Jersey, you can contact Dr. Adil Manzoor of Mobile Medicine New Jersey and avail his services. He provides telemedicine services powered by PatientMD, after hours medical consultation, takes weekend & day-time house calls. You can avail his house call services without leaving your house simply from the comfort of your home.

Stay At Home except only to get medical treatment

Most people with Covid-19 experience mild illness and can easily recover at home by taking the required medications and getting ample rest. Recover at home, take medicine and stay hydrated to feel better. If you face health issues, like having trouble breathing, be sure to get proper medical care. Call your doctor ahead of time, and consult them. With the healthcare services of Mobile Medicine New Jersey available online, you can get medical consultation and help anytime and anywhere.

Isolate yourself from others

Stay in a separate room away from your other family members and pets at your home. Also, if possible, make sure to use a separate bathroom. If you do not have room to isolate yourself from others, make sure to wear a mask in your home or outside of your home. Inform your close contacts about your isolation due to your exposure to Covid. An infected person can transmit the coronavirus starting 2 days or within 48 hours before the person tests positive or shows any symptoms. By informing your close contacts, you are helping to contain the spread and protect everyone. 

Monitor Yourself for any Symptoms

Monitor yourself if you have any of the symptoms of Covid, such as cough, fever, breathing issues, or anything else. Follow the medical care instructions from your local health department or healthcare provider. Look out for any emergency warning signs such as critical difficulties in breathing, persistent pressure or pain in the chest, extreme weakness and tiredness, inability to stay awake or wake, bluish face or lips. If you or someone you know is experiencing any other severe symptoms, call your doctor for help. You can contact Dr. Adil Manzoor of New Jersey immediately, and avail his telemedicine services, to know about the treatment options at home and prevent hospital admission, depending of the severity of the symptoms.

Always Call Ahead before giving your doctor a visit

Most of the appointments related to Covid symptoms are conducted through telemedicine. If you live in New Jersey, you can reach out to our expert physician Dr. Adil Manzoor. He provides Telemedicine Services in New Jersey. To opt for the PatientMD powered telemedicine services, you need to have a stable internet connection with an iPad, laptop, or smartphone. Live video visits are the ideal way to receive medical care during these times without requiring to visit a doctor’s office. 

Wear Your Mask covering your nose and mouth

When alone, you don’t need to wear a mask. Cover your sneezes and coughs using your hand or some other way. Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others to protect the people around you. Ensure that the mask you wear covers your nose and mouth when especially around your family members or pets, or outside. Young children under the age of 2 years, anyone experiencing and having a medical history of breathing difficulties, or not able to remove the mask without help, should not wear one. 

Wash Your Hands Often

Keep your hands clean and wash it often with water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds. Keep a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% of alcohol with you at all times. Rub the content covering all of the surfaces of your hands until it starts feeling dry. Do not touch your eyes, mouth, and nose with unwashed hands, and avoid touching them often.

Last but not least, ask your doctor or local healthcare provider if you need to get tested for Covid. Whatever the test results are negative or positive, you have to make sure to continue quarantining yourself for 14 days minimum. Ultimately, it comes down to each and every one of us to take precautions and follow the recommended steps to the tee so that we can survive and recover from this pandemic.