The Wyoming Department of Health has offered a set of guidelines if you test positive for COVID-19, or are exposed to someone with the disease.

You should isolate if your symptoms are mild, or if you are not experiencing any symptoms:

  • Stay home, unless you need to seek medical attention.
  • Do not go to work.
  • Do not go to school.
  • Do not attend social gatherings or groups.
  • If you feel well enough, you may spend time outside on your property away from other people.

 

To isolate yourself, separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:

  • Stay in a specific room and away from others.
  • Use a separate bathroom if available.
  • Avoid sharing household items such as food, dishes, towels, blankets or bedding.
  • Have another person who is not sick care for your animals.
  • If that is not possible, wash your hands before and after contact with them or feeding them.

If separation is not possible because your household space is limited, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website for suggestions.

 

Take steps to protect others:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Clean commonly touched surfaces with a household cleaner.
  • Wear a face covering if you need to be around other people, even within the home.

 

What else can I do?

You should notify people you were around when you were contagious. You are considered contagious from two days before your symptoms begin until 10 days after your symptoms began.

If you have no symptoms, you are considered contagious beginning two days before your test sample was collected and until 10 days after your test sample was collected.

 

The people who may be affected include:

  • People you were within 6 feet of for a total of 15 minutes or more (for example at work, at school, or at social gatherings).
  • People you care for at home.
  • People you had direct physical contact with (hugged or kissed them).
  • People you shared eating or drinking utensils with.
  • People you sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on.

Your close contacts may not be called by public health representatives. The Wyoming Department of Health has guidelines for those you were in contact with.

Please respond to questions from public health representatives when they call.

If you need a letter for school or work to isolate please email vwdh.covid19@wyo.gov​ with your name, contact information, and county of residence.

 

How long do I have to isolate?

Stay in isolation until all of these three things are true:

  • You have not had a fever (without using fever-reducing medications) for at least 24 hours.
  • Your other symptoms have improved since they first began.
  • At least 10 days have gone by since your symptoms first started.
  • If you had no symptoms, stay in isolation for 10 days starting from the date you took your positive test.

For more information to calculate your isolation period, consult the Wyoming Department of Health's guidelines.

Public health does not require you to receive a negative test before you resume your normal activities.

 

What’s the difference between isolation and quarantine?

Isolation is what you do if you have COVID-19 symptoms, or have tested positive. Isolation means you stay home and away from others (including household members) for the recommended period of time to avoid spreading illness.

Quarantine is what you do if you have been exposed to COVID-19. Quarantine means you stay home and away from others for the recommended period of time in case you are infected and are contagious.

Quarantine becomes isolation if you test positive for COVID-19 or develop symptoms after an exposure.

 

Why do my household members have to quarantine longer than I have to isolate?

Quarantine is the length of the incubation period of the virus and is based on the last time a person was exposed. People exposed should stay home for 14 days after the last contact with a person who has COVID-19.

If you are able to isolate from your household members, they can start their quarantine on the date you start isolating. Their quarantine will be the date you start isolating plus 14 days.

If you live with someone and you are not able to avoid close contact -- such as not having a separate bedroom or bathroom, or live in close quarters where you cannot keep a physical distance of six feet -- they cannot start their quarantine until you end isolation.

Their quarantine will not start until your isolation ends. Their quarantine will be the date you end home isolation plus 14 days.

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