Health checks if you work or get care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Before going into work, check your health before every shift.
What to do
If you work outside your home, you can get tested for COVID-19, even if you have no symptoms. Find out about your testing options.
You should also check your health before you go to a dental or healthcare appointment.
1. Consider your own COVID-19 status
If you tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 10 days, you must isolate yourself at home.
2. Consider the COVID-19 status of any close contacts
If any close contacts tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days, you must quarantine at home. Do not go to work.
Close contacts include anyone who:
- Lives with you
- You have sex with
- Takes care of you
- You take care of
- Stayed within 6 feet of you for more than 10 minutes when they were not wearing a face covering
- You had direct contact with their body fluids (including coughing and sneezing on you) while you not wearing a facemask, gown, and gloves (usually healthcare workers)
3. Check if you have new symptoms
Get tested for COVID-19 if in the last 24 hours:
- You have a fever over 100.4° Fahrenheit or 38.0° Celsius
- You’re shivering a lot
- You have a cough
- It’s hard to breathe
- You feel tired or sore
- You can’t smell or taste anything
- Your throat hurts
- Your head hurts
- You have a runny or stuffy nose
- You have diarrhea, feel sick to your stomach, or throw up
You should not go to work. Stay home until you get your test results. See CDC guidelines about what to do if you are sick.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you must isolate yourself at home.
If your test is negative, stay home until you have no symptoms for at least 3 days.
4. You can go to work if you and your contacts’ test results are negative, and you feel healthy
Remember to stay 6 feet apart and wear a face covering to work.
If you or your contacts get a positive test result or you start to feel sick while at work, tell your employer and go home right away.