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1. What should I do if I get sick or someone in my house gets sick?

Most people who get COVID-19 will be able to recover at home. CDC has directions for people who are recovering at home and their caregivers, including:

• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Use a separate room and bathroom for sick household members (if possible).
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• Provide your sick household member with clean disposable facemasks to wear at home, if available, to help prevent spreading COVID-19 to others.
• Clean the sick room and bathroom, as needed, to avoid unnecessary contact with the sick person.

However, some people may need emergency medical attention. Watch for symptoms and learn when to seek emergency medical attention.

2. What should I do if I have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19?

• Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
• Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
• Avoid interacting with other people, especially people who are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, such as the elderly or people with compromised immune systems.

3. What is the difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic testing?

If you are asymptomatic and have not been identified as having had "close contact" with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, then attending a mass testing event is appropriate. If there is not a mass testing event then contact a Health Care Facility to be screened. Anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms should contact their health care provider immediately, and follow their medical provider’s recommendations for testing and treatment.

4. What do contact tracing and close contact mean?

Plumas County Public Health conducts a case investigation and does contact tracing with all residents who test positive. If someone is identified as having "close contact" with someone who has tested positive, then the "close contact" will be scheduled by Public Health to be tested.

A "close contact" is an individual who has had approximately 15 minutes or more of contact within 6 feet without both people wearing a mask.

If you traveled outside of the county, or if someone outside of the county traveled to see you inside of Plumas County and you were informed that you had close contact with a positive COVID-19 individual, please contact the Plumas County Public Health Agency Clinic at (530) 283-6300 for further instructions.

5. What increases your risk of infection?

You are more likely to be infected with coronavirus if:

• You have close contact with an infected person (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes without masks)
• You are frequently in a group setting (like an assisted living facility, college dormitory, homeless shelter)
• You have been in an area with high infection rates

You can reduce the risk to yourself and others by:

• Wearing a mask
• Practicing physical distancing
• Washing your hands often

6. I recently traveled outside of Plumas County or someone outside of the county came to visit me and later tested positive for COVID-19. What should I do?

If you traveled outside of the county, or if someone outside of the county traveled to see you inside of Plumas County and you were informed that you had close contact with a positive COVID-19 individual, please contact the Plumas County Public Health Agency Clinic at (530) 283-6300 for further instructions.

7. Is there a cost to get tested?

No. The Health Care Facility may bill your insurance, but all tests are FREE to the patient.

8. Can someone test negative and later test positive on a viral test for COVID-19?

Yes, it is possible. You may test negative if the sample was collected early in your infection and test positive later during your illness. You could also be exposed to COVID-19 after the test and get infected then. Even if you test negative, you still should take steps to protect yourself and others.

9. How can I get tested for a past infection (antibody test) and what does my test mean?

Antibody tests for COVID-19 are available through healthcare providers and laboratories. Check with your healthcare provider to see if they offer antibody tests and whether you should get one. A positive test result shows you might have antibodies from an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. However, there is a chance a positive result means that you have antibodies from an infection with a virus from the same family of viruses (called coronaviruses), such as the one that causes the common cold. Having antibodies to the virus that causes COVID-19 might provide protection from getting infected with the virus again. If it does, we do not know how much protection the antibodies might provide or how long this protection might last. You should continue to protect yourself and others since you could get infected with the virus again.

If you test negative, you might not have ever had COVID-19. Talk with your healthcare provider about your test result and the type of test you took to understand what your result means. Regardless of whether you test positive or negative, the results do not confirm whether or not you are able to spread the virus that causes COVID-19. Until we know more, continue to take steps to protect yourself and others.