PLEASE NOTE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance on Friday, March 1, 2024. This website has not yet been modified to reflect this new guidance.
If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 full days and isolate from others in your home. If you work in a clinical setting with direct patient interaction, you need to isolate for at least 7 full days. People with moderate or severe illness or with a weakened immune system will need to isolate at least through day 10. Learn more here.
If you tested positive on an at-home COVID test please submit your results at makemytestcount.org. Need paperwork? When you meet the requirements for release from isolation, complete the Affirmation of Isolation form. This along with your test results serve as your documentation for work and school absence or for New York Paid Family Leave COVID-19 claims.
Treatment
Treatment must be started early to work, so don’t delay, especially if you are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.
If you test positive, contact your healthcare provider right away for treatment options that may be available to you. No health care provider? No problem. Anyone age 18 or older who tests positive for COVID can access free telehealth care and treatment (if prescribed) through the Home Test to Treat program.
If you are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, contact your health care provider for treatment options that may be available to you. Treatment must be started early to work, so don’t delay, even if your symptoms are mild! Learn more about treatment options here.
Important Instructions for COVID-19 Positive Individuals
Isolate yourself at home.
Do not leave the house unless you have been instructed to visit a health care facility. You can end home isolation if these three conditions are met:
- It has been at least 5 full days since you first experienced symptoms or tested positive if asymptomatic;
- You have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine, and;
- Your symptoms are improving.
Please note: People with moderate or severe illness or with a weakened immune system will need to isolate at least through day 10; contact your healthcare provider for further guidance.
Notify close contacts.
Please notify all individuals you had close contact with from 2 days before you started having symptoms (or 2 days before your positive test if you have no symptoms) so they know what steps to take.
Avoid contact with other household members.
If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 full days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely to be most infectious during these first 5 days.
- Wear a high-quality mask if you must be around others at home and in public.
- Do not travel.
- Stay home and separate from others as much as possible.
- Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
- Take steps to improve ventilation at home, if possible.
- Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
- Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
Practice good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.
- Cover coughs and sneezes.
- Avoid touching your eyes and mouth.
- Dispose of tissues after coughing or sneezing.
- Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Contact your healthcare provider if symptoms worsen.
Monitor your symptoms and contact your healthcare provider if symptoms worsen. Signs of serious illness include trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure, or difficulty staying awake.
If you are older than 65, or you are immunocompromised or have an underlying chronic health condition, you have a higher risk of developing more severe COVID-19 illness. Follow the same practices as everyone else, closely monitor your symptoms, and seek medical care if your symptoms worsen.
If you require medical attention or have questions related to your personal health care, please follow up directly with your primary care provider. You should avoid public transportation. If you do not have a primary care provider, the following resources can help you to find one:
- Upstate: 315.464.4842
- St. Joseph’s Health: 1.888.785.6371
- Crouse Health: 315.479.5070
If you experience a medical emergency or need immediate medical attention, please dial 911 for help, and notify them that you have tested positive for COVID-19.
Home Test to Treat Program
Any adult (18 years and older) with a current positive test for COVID-19 or flu can enroll to receive free telehealth care and, if prescribed, medication delivered to their home. Adults who do not have COVID-19 or flu may enroll and receive free tests if they are uninsured or are enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs health care system, or the Indian Health Services. If recipients test positive at a future time, they can receive free telehealth care and, if prescribed, treatment. Learn more about this program here!
Should I get tested again for COVID-19 before going back to work or school?
If you have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19, you may continue to test positive for three months or more without being contagious to others. Learn more here.