{"id":390875,"date":"2022-01-07T16:20:01","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T13:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ive-tested-positive-for-covid-what-should-i-do-now\/"},"modified":"2022-01-07T16:20:01","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T13:20:01","slug":"ive-tested-positive-for-covid-what-should-i-do-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ive-tested-positive-for-covid-what-should-i-do-now\/","title":{"rendered":"#I’ve tested positive for COVID. What should I do now?"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#I’ve tested positive for COVID. What should I do now?<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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For two years, COVID has dominated our world. In Australia, we’ve tested every sniffle, undergone extensive lockdowns, and double-vaccinated more than 90%<\/a> of adults to combat this lethal virus.\n <\/p>\n

So, it’s understandable our first reaction when we test positive to COVID ourselves is to panic.<\/p>\n

However, a positive test doesn’t mean you will necessarily end up in hospital.<\/p>\n

As a GP, here’s my advice on what you should do.<\/p>\n

When you test positive<\/b><\/p>\n

If you test positive on a rapid antigen test at home, you’re no longer required to get a PCR test<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you have symptoms and cannot get either a PCR or a rapid antigen test, you should assume you have COVID and self-isolate until you can get tested.<\/p>\n

Who should you tell?<\/b><\/p>\n

Tell a support person\u2014someone who will be able to check on you every day, either in person (taking app<\/a>ropriate precautions) or by phone.<\/p>\n

Also notify your work and cancel any other commitments you have coming up for the following week.<\/p>\n

Contact tracing is completely overwhelmed in most states and territories, so make sure to notify your close contacts<\/a> yourself.<\/p>\n

Currently, this is defined as<\/a> a person who has spent four hours or more with you in a household or “household-like” setting while you’re infectious, which includes the two days before you got symptoms. Realistically, someone can catch it from you in much less than four hours, so notifying anyone you spent time with (even if less than four hours), would make medical sense.<\/p>\n

In some states<\/a> you are asked to notify the public health unit that you’ve tested positive. But at the time of writing there’s no national approach to self-reporting.<\/p>\n

Only inform your doctor if you have certain conditions<\/b><\/p>\n

Don’t automatically notify your GP. In many cases, if you’re young, fit and healthy there’s no benefit to you.<\/p>\n

The current national recommendations<\/a> for treating COVID suggest adults with mild illness and no other risk factors may manage their symptoms at home.
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With tens of thousands of people being diagnosed daily\u2014and GPs rolling out booster vaccines, vaccines for children, and continuing our usual work\u2014we don’t have capacity to review every person in Australia who’s a positive test each day. <\/p>\n

However, certain people testing positive should arrange a telehealth consultation with a GP regardless of how well they feel on receiving the news<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This includes people who are over 65, pregnant, immunocompromised, or are both unvaccinated\/partially vaccinated and have certain diseases like diabetes, obesity, kidney, heart, liver or lung disease.<\/p>\n

As people in this group are at higher risk of deteriorating, they may be able to access medications<\/a> such as antiviral therapy to reduce that risk. <\/p>\n

Treating ourselves at home<\/b><\/p>\n

Most of us will be treating ourselves at home.<\/p>\n

This will usually apply to people<\/a> who are under 65, aren’t pregnant, have had at least two doses of a COVID vaccine, and don’t suffer from any chronic conditions.<\/p>\n

Here are some things to consider:<\/p>\n