Human Resources

COVID-19 Scenarios

Scenario 1

If you test positive for COVID‐19
Regardless of your vaccination status
  1. Stay at home and stay away from others for at least 5 days
  1. After 5 days have passed since you tested positive (or since you started having symptoms, if you have symptoms), if you:
    1. don’t have symptoms OR have started to feel better*
    2. and you no longer have a fever (without having used fever‐reducing medication)* you can return
      to work, and no longer have to isolate.
  2. You must still wear a mask when around others for at least 5 more days (until day 11 after testing positive).

The CDC recommends a high-quality (N95-style high filtration) mask.
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/sick.html#mask

Scenario 2

If you are a close contact* of someone who later tests positive for COVID‐ 19

Regardless of your vaccination status

*A “close contact” is anyone who spent 15 minutes or more within a 24‐ hour period within 6 feet of a person infected with COVID‐ 19 while they were infectious (2 days before onset of symptoms to 10 days after).
  1. You can leave your home/residence and go to work or class, but per CDC recommendations, you should wear a mask indoors when around others.
  2. The CDC recommends a high-quality (N95-style high filtration) mask.
  3. Take extra precautions if you are going to be around people who are more likely to become very ill from COVID-19.
  4. Wear a high-quality mask around others for at least 10 days since the close contact.
  5. Follow CDC Guidance on precautions after exposure to COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html
  6. Monitor for symptoms*, including fever (100.4°F or greater), cough, shortness of breath, other symptoms.
  7. Take a COVID-19 test at least 5 days after the exposure.

If you develop symptoms at any time, go home immediately, stay away from others, and get a COVID‐19 test.

  • Stay home until you get the test result.
  • If you test positive, see Scenario 1.
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/sick.html#mask

Additional Information and Resources

* If you have questions about symptoms, what it means to be feeling better, or fevers, please contact a
healthcare provider.

If you have state health insurance, you can do a virtual visit at no cost to you. State Blue Cross and HealthPartners insurance members have free access to Doctor on Demand or Virtuwell. State PreferedOne insurance members have free access to Virtuwell or MDLive.

If you tested positive via an at-home rapid test, you may wish to get a confirmatory PCR test. These tests are available at multiple locations across the state. Anyone can walk in or schedule an appointment for a test at one of the state’s free COVID-19 Community Testing sites or find a testing option near them through the state’s Find Testing Locations map.

If you test positive at a community testing site or other lab that reports positive test results to MDH, MDH will send you a link to a secure online survey from health.covid19.esurvey@state.mn.us. Complete the survey to give MDH information necessary for case investigation. Follow the instructions provided after you complete the survey.

Download a printable (pdf) version of this information

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