What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19

Certain factors can increase or decrease your risk of being exposed to COVID-19. These include:

Length of time can increase risk: How long were you around the infected person?
Coughing or heavy breathing can increase risk: Was the infected person coughing, singing, shouting, or breathing heavily?
Symptoms can increase risk: Did the infected person have symptoms at the time?
Masks can decrease risk: Were you or the infected person wearing a respirator (for example, N95) or high-quality mask?
Ventilation and filtration can decrease risk: How well-ventilated was the space?
Distance can decrease risk: How close was the infected person to you?

Wearing a mask for 10 days around others inside your home or indoors in public may reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others after exposure. You can still develop COVID-19 up to 10 days after you have been exposed.
- Day 0 is the day of your last exposure to someone with COVID-19.
- Day 1 is the first full day after your last exposure.
If you have no symptoms and want to get tested, wait until at least Day 6.
- If you already had COVID-19 within the past 90 days, see specific testing recommendations.
- Visit VDH’s COVID-19 testing webpage or CDC’s No Cost COVID-19 Testing Locator for more information.
Check for symptoms of COVID-19 [Español].

If you develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, immediately isolate (stay home). Learn about what to do on VDH’s If you are sick webpage. If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk with your healthcare provider right away to see if you can get treatment. Visit VDH’s COVID-19 treatment webpage for more information.

Was I exposed?