Covid-19: So I have Coronavirus – what does this mean for me?

My test was positive. What does that mean?

Your healthcare provider took a specimen from you because you had symptoms and met the current criteria for testing. This specimen was sent to a laboratory. The laboratory tested your specimen for genetic material from the new coronavirus.

This virus has been named SARS-CoV-2. The test was reported as either positive or negative.

If your test was reported to be positive, then genetic material from the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was found in your specimen and you have confirmed coronavirus disease. This disease is now also called Covid-19.

I have been told to self-isolate. How do I take care of myself at home?

Most people who get sick with coronavirus will have only a mild illness and should recover at home. You may continue to experience the typical symptoms which include a fever, cough and mild shortness of breath.  Most people with mild illness will start feeling better within a week of first symptoms.

Have your healthcare provider’s contact information on hand for emergencies – this could be your GP or your nearest local clinic/ hospital. Get rest at home and drink enough water/ clear fluids during the day to make sure that your urine stays a pale clear colour.  There are no specific antiviral treatments recommended for coronavirus disease.

You can take over-the-counter medications if you have fever or pain. Use these according to the instructions on the packet or label and do not exceed the recommended dose. You should continue taking any other prescribed chronic medication. Monitor your symptoms carefully. If your symptoms get worse, call your healthcare provider immediately.

Also read: Covid-19: WARNING: Criminals pretending to be WHO officials want your money

If you develop any emergency warning signs, get medical attention immediately.

Emergency warning signs include: trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure in your chest that does not go away, coughing up blood, becoming confused, severe sleepiness, blue lips or face.

If you have any warning signs, you or a member of your household should call your nearest hospital or emergency services immediately and notify them that you have confirmed coronavirus disease.

Avoid taking public transport to the facility – either use private transport (preferably with windows rolled-down) or call emergency services for an ambulance if required. You should wear a face mask if you travel to seek hospital care.

Should other people living in my home be tested too?

Other members of your household (who are considered among your close contacts) will only have specimens collected for laboratory testing if they develop symptoms consistent with coronavirus disease.

Why must I self-isolate?

Staying at home will help to control the spread of the new coronavirus to your friends, relatives and your wider community. In particular, staying at home will help prevent spread to the most vulnerable people in our communities, who are risk for severe illness. The coronavirus is spread by droplets.

When an infected person coughs, exhales or sneezes, they release droplets of fluid containing virus particles into the air. Other people can become infected by breathing in these droplets if they are standing within a few meters from the infected person. The larger droplets can also fall on nearby surfaces and objects.

Also read: Covid-19: You think you have it. What happens next?

The virus can survive on hard surfaces (plastic and stainless steel, for example) for up to 72 hours. Other people can become infected when they touch contaminated surface, then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. People cannot be infected through the skin.

If you understand how coronavirus disease spreads, this will help you to understand how to prevent spreading the infection to others. Stay a few meters away from other people, wash your hands frequently and cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.

What will self-isolation mean for me?

Stay at home. Do not go to work, school, or any public areas. If necessary, talk to your employer and let them know that you cannot come to work.

Do not use any public transport (including buses, minibus taxis and taxi cabs). Do not travel. You should cancel all your routine medical and dental appointments. If possible, you should not even go out to buy food, medicines or other essentials.

You should ask friends or relatives to help you to buy groceries and essentials.

If you have access to the internet, you can order your shopping or medications online but tell delivery drivers to leave any items for collection outside your house. Delivery drivers should not come into your house at all. You should not go outside to exercise, unless you can maintain a safe distance from others in an outdoors space.

You should not have any visitors in your home during your isolation period. Do keep in touch with your relatives, friends and colleagues over the phone, internet or by using social media.

How long will I have to stay at home?

You can end your home isolation 14 days after your illness began. Your illness began on the day that you first developed symptoms, not on the day that a specimen was collected or on the day that the laboratory test was reported to be positive.

If you were tested with no symptoms (note – this is not currently recommended) and had a positive test result, you can end your home isolation 14 days after the positive specimen was collected. After a 14-day home isolation period, you are considered to no longer be infectious, i.e. you are very unlikely to transmit infection to others.

No follow-up laboratory tests will be done during or at the end of your home isolation period. Laboratory tests that only look for coronavirus genetic material in specimens cannot tell us whether you can still transmit infection to others because a positive test may only pick up pieces of dead virus.

Dear reader,

As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.