Stay home if you feel sick
If you test positive or have symptoms of COVID-19, assume you are contagious to other people.
If you have symptoms or feel sick
- Stay home until 24 hours after fever is gone without use of fever-reducing medicine and other symptoms are improving
- Wear a mask around others for 10 days after your symptoms start, especially if you can’t stay home
- Avoid having contact with people at high risk for severe illness.
If you test positive but don’t have symptoms you are not required to stay home or isolate,
- It is recommended that you wear a mask around others for 10 days
- Avoid contact with people who are high risk for severe illness
Staying home when you are sick is important. If you need help, call the COVID Call center at 503-988-8939 and ask about services that might be available to you. Interpreters are available.
Tell close contacts right away
Call, email, or text close contacts. Tell them to:
- Watch for symptoms. If they start to feel sick, they should stay away from others until they can get tested.
- Consider taking a Covid-19 test. The best time to test is 5 days after they were around you. The test may not work if they take it too soon.
Treatment and taking care of yourself
Do the things you normally do to feel better: sleep, rest and drink plenty of fluids.
Most people will recover on their own. However you should call your healthcare provider right away to discuss your risk for getting very sick.
Depending on your age or health conditions, they may recommend Covid-19 treatment.
DON'T DELAY. Covid-19 treatment must be started within days of your first symptoms to be effective. Find Covid-19 medicines in Oregon»
Some people have problems with their lungs, heart or thinking after their initial illness. Talk to your doctor or clinic about how they will continue to monitor you.
If you don't have a doctor, call 211 for help.
Emergency Warning Signs
Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care (call 911) immediately:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone
Covid-19 and Work
We recommend telling your employer if you test positive for Covid-19 and have been around other people at work. Those who were around you will know to get tested too.
If your employer requires a doctor’s note to stay home, you can contact your doctor, clinic or the place where you got tested.
As of April 3, 2023, employers are no longer required to notify employees of a work-related Covid-19 exposure.
