08/07/2020
So you got exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. What are you going to do? Do you need a test right away? You can call the DOH hotline 1555 for personalized recommendations, but here are the general priciples:
1. Are you symptomatic - fever, cough or colds, sore throat?
You probably need a test. Call the DOH hotline 1555 for instructions on how to safely access the test and decrease your risk of spreading it to those around you. Put on a mask in the meantime and isolate yourself as much as possible. If you are short of breath, proceed to the nearest emergency room. If you have mild symptoms, then you may be instructed to isolate at home after the test has been done. If you do not have an adequate set up for isolation at home, contact the LGU to ask about community isolation facilities in your area.
2. Are you asymptomatic?
Then you may or may not need a test depending on when you were exposed, and how much you were exposed:
a. If it has been more than 14 days since your last exposure to the confirmed COVID-19 patient and you never developed symptoms, then you don't need to test.
b. If it has been less than 14 days, you need to consider the degree of exposure:
i. Was it a close contact? This means any direct physical contact; or more than 15 min at less that 3 feet; more than 2 hours in the same enclosed area; or provided care to a confirmed patient without adequate PPE.
If yes, then you should quarantine yourself immediately. You MAY be tested, but it should be done at LEAST 5 days from the last contact since doing the test too early yields a lot of false positives. If it has been more than 5 days, then you CAN opt to get tested or you can just continue quarantine to complete 14 days even without a test. If at any time you develop symptoms before the 14 days is over, then you should get tested. If the test comes back negative, your physician will decide whether to continue quarantine or not since there can still be false positives. Do not break quarantine without speaking to a healthcare worker.
ii. If it wasn't a close contact, then you probably don't need to test unless you develop symptoms. Limit your activities and be meticulous with mask use especially within 14 days from exposure just in case you do develop symptoms. DOH and the LGU do have discretion if they wish to test you anyway especially if there are large clusters in your locality. Please cooperate and let yourself be tested if requested and don't insist on testing if the authorities say it isn't warranted.
3. If you were exposed to someone who was exposed to a positive case but has not yet been tested, then apply the same principles above on close contact and presence or absence of symptoms. You would be a 2nd generation contact, and will not need to isolate or test unless you develop symptoms, or the person you were exposed to does test positive. You should observe meticulous masking and physical distance while waiting for your contact's result (if you have a way of knowing, or the LGU/DOH contact tracing team may contact you). If your contact's test is negative, then you don't need testing unless you develop symptoms or were exposed to someone else.
