How much does a COVID-19 test cost?

The cost for testing should be covered by most insurance plans or through government-sponsored programs.

For private pay patients, please contact your health care provider for cost to administer a COVID-19 test.

What should I do if I think I have COVID-19?

Stay at home away from others (isolate), except to get medical care.

Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
Stay in a separate room from other household members, if possible.
Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
Avoid contact with other household members and pets.
Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
Wear a mask if you must be around other people inside and outside your household.

Does CVS offer COVID-19 testing?

CVS provides laboratory-based nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) and rapid point-of-care (POC) testing at no cost to consumers at over 700 locations in 44 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. Locations include community testing sites and some CVS pharmacies.

How long does it take for the COVID-19 symptoms to start showing?

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

How can I treat symptoms of COVID-19 at home?

Your healthcare provider might recommend the following to relieve symptoms and support your body’s natural defenses:

• Taking medications, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to reduce fever
• Drinking water or receiving intravenous fluids to stay hydrated
• Getting plenty of rest to help the body fight the virus

Which medications can help reduce the symptoms of COVID-19?

In terms of specifics: acetaminophen (Tylenol), naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can help lower your fever, assuming you don’t have a health history that should prevent you from using them. It’s usually not necessary to lower a fever – an elevated temperature is meant to help your body fight off the virus.

Am I still contagious a week after testing positive for COVID-19?

As CDC noted in its updated guidance, people tend to be most infectious towards the beginning of a Covid-19 infection. So, by the time you reach day eight, nine, or 10, you still have the chance to spread to other people, but it’s probably not as much as you did early in the course of your infection.

What are some of the first symptoms of COVID-19?

Early symptoms reported by some people include fatigue, headache, sore throat or fever. Others experience a loss of smell or taste. COVID-19 can cause symptoms that are mild at first, but then become more intense over five to seven days, with worsening cough and shortness of breath.

What are some of the most common presenting symptoms of COVID-19?

Initial presentation — Among patients with symptomatic COVID-19, cough, myalgias, and headache are the most commonly reported symptoms. Other features, including diarrhea, sore throat, and smell or taste abnormalities, are also well described (table 3).

How long is someone with COVID-19 infectious?

Infectiousness peaks around one day before symptom onset and declines within a week of symptom onset, with an average period of infectiousness and risk of transmission between 2-3 days before and 8 days after symptom onset.

How long do individuals who had severe COVID-19 remain infectious?

Most patients with more severe-to-critical illness likely remain infectious no longer than 20 days after symptom onset.

How long must I stay home after testing positive for COVID-19?

Stay home for 5 days. If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house. Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days. If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.

How long after mild-to-moderate symptoms of COVID-19 are you contagious?

Available data suggest that patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset.

Are recovered persons with persistent positive test of COVID-19 infectious to others?

See full answer

Persons who have tested persistently or recurrently positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA have, in some cases, had their signs and symptoms of COVID-19 improve. When viral isolation in tissue culture has been attempted in such persons in South Korea and the United States, live virus has not been isolated. There is no evidence to date that clinically recovered persons with persistent or recurrent detection of viral RNA have transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to others.

Despite these observations, it’s not possible to conclude that all persons with persistent or recurrent detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA are no longer infectious. There is no firm evidence that the antibodies that develop in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection are protective. If these antibodies are protective, it’s not known what antibody levels are needed to protect against reinfection.

How long after COVID-19 isolation should I wear a mask?

During the 10 days after infection, persons might be infectious to others and are recommended to wear a well-fitting mask when around others, and to avoid contact with those at elevated risk for severe disease, even if ending isolation after 5 days.

How long does it take to recover from COVID-19?

Fortunately, people who have mild to moderate symptoms typically recover in a few days or weeks.

Can COVID-19 symptoms last for months?

But for an estimated 37% who contract the virus, symptoms can linger for weeks, months, or even years. One of the most common symptoms of long COVID is brain fog: a life-altering condition characterized by slow thinking, confusion, difficulty remembering things, and poor concentration.

When should an employee suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 return to work?

Employees should not return to work until they meet the criteria to discontinue home isolation and have consulted with a healthcare provider. Employers should not require a sick employee to provide a negative COVID-19 test result or healthcare provider’s note to return to work.

Can I stay at home to recover if I have only mild symptoms of COVID-19?

Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care. Do not leave your home, except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.

How long does COVID-19 arm last?

It usually subsides within three to four days, although one report in JAMA Dermatology notes it can last up to 21 days after injection with the Moderna vaccine. If you develop the side effect and are due for a follow-up dose, tell your vaccine provider, who might simply suggest you get the next jab in the other arm.

How long does it take to develop immunity after a COVID-19 infection?

Although the immune correlates of protection are not fully understood, evidence indicates that antibody development following infection likely confers some degree of immunity from subsequent infection for at least 6 months.

What are some examples of mild illness of the coronavirus disease?

Mild Illness: Individuals who have any of the various signs and symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, malaise, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of taste and smell) but who do not have shortness of breath, dyspnea, or abnormal chest imaging.