Guidelines on what to do if you are in contact or infected with COVID-19
1. You DO NOT need to REPEAT a test after 14 days ISOLATION or QUARANTINE to return to work
Employers should not ask employees for a negative test to confirm they can return to work
An employee can return to work after 14 days after quarantine
2. The test WILL BE NEGATIVE when you are in the WINDOW PERIOD.
Your WINDOW PERIOD is 1-14 days if you have NO SYMPTOMS.
Going for a test in the WINDOW PERIOD is of no value (NEGATIVE result CANNOT BE TRUSTED)
ONLY go for a test if you have SYMPTOMS.
3. POSITIVE TEST= 100% reliable
NEGATIVE TEST= 0-70% reliable
False negatives are possible and common. We cannot use a negative test to say you are
not infected.
If you are SICK, STAY home.
4. You are NOT a CLOSE CONTACT if:
You have not had close contact with a
positive person
You are a contact of contact (you are not
personally the close contact)
You wore full PPE and did not spend a
A prolonged period in a closed space
You do NOT need to quarantine
5. What is CLOSE CONTACT with a POSITIVE person:
Being face-to-face (<1m)
Being in a small room or car/taxi or 15min Living in the same house or sharing the same kitchen and utensils
Kissing, touching, holding hands
or hugging
Someone coughing on you
6. QUARANTINE is for people who are NOT SICK
but are a CLOSE CONTACT.
So no going out, no visitors and no test 14 days
from the LAST CONTACT.
This is the window period. You might be infected. A negative test does not change this, 14 days for
everyone.
If you get symptoms, you start self-isolation (new14 days).
NO EXCEPTIONS.
7. POSITIVE TEST= 100% reliable
NEGATIVE TEST= 0-70% reliable
False negatives are possible and common. We cannot use a negative test to say you are not infected.
If you are SICK. STAY home.
What is CLOSE CONTACT with a POSITIVE person:
Being face-to-face (<1m)
Being in a small room or car/taxi or 15min Living in the same house or sharing the same kitchen and utensils, kissing, touching, holding hands or hugging someone coughing on you.
8 QUARANTINE is for people who are NOT SICK but are CLOSE CONTACT.
So no going out, no visitors and no test 14 days from the LAST CONTACT.
This is the window period. You might be infected. A negative test does not change this, 14 days for
everyone.
If you get symptoms, you start self-isolation (new14 days}.
NO EXCEPTIONS.
9. SELF-ISOLATION is for SICK people.
This is if you have symptoms of COVID-19 and need to stay away from others.
You are contagious. Wear a mask at home, clean surfaces regularly, stay in a ventilated room.
Stay alone. No going out. No visitors. 14 days from the start of symptoms (not from the test).
NO EXCEPTIONS.
10 If you are a CLOSE CONTACT or you are SYMPTOMATIC Stay home.
No test needed for this.
It will not change anything.
14 days.
Simple.
11 We will all be exposed to COVID-19 in the next few months:
Stay alert: the more contact we have, the sooner we will be exposed
Stay healthy: keep your other medical conditions under control
Stay calm: more than 85% of people only have mild illness.
12. You are NOT a CLOSE CONTACT if:
You have not had close contact with a positive person
You are a contact of contact (you are not personally the close contact)
You wore full PPE and did not spend a prolonged period in a closed space
You do NOT need to quarantine.
STAY SAFE.