COVID-19 Decision Trees for the General Public

see

tree

YES

Stay home

• Consider retesting every

24–48 hours through at

least 5 days after your

symptoms started.

• Resume normal activities

when:

» You have had no fever

within the past 24 hours

(without medication)

AND

» Your symptoms have

improved

Stay home

Resume normal activities if:

• You have had no fever

within the past 24hours

(without medication)

AND

• Your symptoms have

improved

Isolate at home

You can leave isolation after 5 days have passed

since symptoms first appeared if:

• You have had no fever within the past 24hours

(without medication)

AND

• Your symptoms have improved

Notify people who have been exposed to you

and refer them to Tree 2.

When resuming normal activities days6–10:

• Wear a mask around others at home and in

public

• Avoid people who are immunocompromised,

health care settings and other high-risk settings

• Refer to What to do if you test positive for

COVID-19 for more information, such as:

» what to do in certain congregate settings

» how to use antigen testing to determine when

to leave isolation and remove yourmask

Were you exposed

to COVID-19?

You do not

get tested

If the person is under the age of two and ONLY has this symptom, testing and isolation are not required. Ifthechild’s symptoms

worsen or persist beyond 5 days, contact a health care provider.

Exposed to COVID-19: someone who was within 6 feet of a COVID-19 case for more than 15 minutes within a 24-hour period

during the case’s contagious period. The definition of a close contact may vary insomesituations.

If you cannot wear a well-fitting mask, you should complete a full 10-day isolation at home.

See Self-Testing Guidance for the Public for additional information about using repeat testing if you test negative. If you tested

negative with a molecular laboratory test (e.g., PCR), you do not need to repeattesting.

You test NEGATIVE

forCOVID-19 OR

receive a different

diagnosis from a

health care provider

You test

NEGATIVE

forCOVID-19

You received

a different

diagnosis

from a

healthcare

provider

You test POSITIVE

for COVID-19

If you have one or more of these new, changed, or

worsening symptoms:

❑ Fever (≥100.4°F) or chills

❑ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

❑ Muscle or body aches

❑ Loss of taste or smell

❑ Congestion or runny nose

Stay home and test for COVID-19 or see a healthcare provider

❑ Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

❑ Headache

❑ Fatigue

❑ Sore throat

❑ Cough

tree

What to do if you have COVID-19 symptoms

This decision tree is for the general public and

non-health care settings, such as schools and child cares.

This document is being reviewed for updates. The Washington State Department of Health

has updated its guidance for what to do if you are sick with COVID-19 or were exposed to

COVID-19. These pages may have content that is inconsistent with the new guidance.

What to do if you have

been exposed to COVID-19

tree

Retest and take precautions

• Consider retesting 24–48 hours after

your firsttest,

AND

• For 10 days after your last exposure:

» Wear a mask when you are around

others indoors

» Do not go places you are unable to

wear a mask

» Monitor for symptoms

» Avoid people at high risk for severe

disease

See What to do if you were potentially

exposed to someone with COVID-19

for more information.

Stay home

• Consider retesting every 24–48 hours

through at least 5 days after your

symptoms started.

• Wear a mask if you must be around

others while you are sick or through

10 days after your last exposure,

whichever is longer.

• Resume normal activities when:

» You have had no fever within the

past 24 hours (without medication)

AND

» Your symptoms have improved

See What to do if you were potentially

exposed to someone with COVID-19

for more information.

If you have been exposed to COVID-19

, do you have symptoms?

YES

Exposed to COVID-19: someone who was within 6 feet of a COVID-19 case for more than 15 minutes

within a 24-hour period during the case’s contagious period. The definition of a close contact may vary

in some situations.

If you tested positive in the past 90 days and have symptoms of COVID-19, use an antigen test (not a

PCR test).

If you have tested positive in the past 30 days and recovered and do not have symptoms, testing again

for COVID-19 is not recommended. You should, however, wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask

around others, not go places you cannot wear a mask, monitor for symptoms, and avoid people at high

risk for severe disease for 10 days after your lastexposure.

If you tested positive in the past 30–90 days, use an antigen test (not a PCR test).

See Self-Testing Guidance for the Public for additional information about using repeat testing if you

test negative. If you tested negative with a molecular laboratory test (e.g., PCR), you do not need to

repeat testing.

Test 3–5 days after your exposure to COVID-19

3,4

See Tree 1

AND

What to do if you test

positive for COVID-19

You test NEGATIVE

for COVID-19

You test NEGATIVE

forCOVID-19

You test POSITIVE

for COVID-19

This decision tree is for the general public and non-health care settings,

such as schools and child cares.

Stay home and immediately test for COVID-19

To request this document in another format, call

1-800-525-0127. Deaf or hard of hearing customers, please call

711 (Washington Relay) or email civil.rights@doh.wa.gov.

DOH 420-456 February 6, 2023

see

tree