The throat is scratching and the second line is colored on the self-test: How do I behave if I am now infected with the corona virus?
The number of corona infections is currently rising again, but is still at a low level. What you should do and know if you get caught by the corona virus now.
Infected with Corona? Better stay at home!
The throat hurts, the nose runs, the body feels limp. Anyone who notices signs of a respiratory infection should – if possible – stay at home for three to five days or wait until the symptoms have improved significantly. This is the recommendation of infection protection.de, a portal of the Federal Center for Health Education.
There is no longer an obligation to isolate. That also means: If you are positive but without symptoms, you have to go to work. But there are exceptions, for example in the healthcare sector.
Make a test
A self-test can provide certainty as to whether a corona infection is hidden behind the symptoms. “Antigen tests from last year can still be used as long as their expiry date has not passed and they have been stored at the recommended temperature,” says infectiologist Prof. Leif Sander from the Charité in Berlin.
Information on how the tests should be stored can be found on the respective packaging. As a rule, they tolerate temperatures between five and 30 degrees. The small symbol showing long rays of sunshine over a house warns that the tests should not be in direct sunlight. If stored incorrectly, it can happen that they no longer provide reliable results.
By the way: According to Prof. Sander, there is no evidence to date that conventional virus diagnostics are affected by the new variants.
Protect others in the household
The test is positive. Those who do not live alone can now do a number of things to reduce the risk of infection for others in the household. This is especially important for people who are at risk of a severe course in the event of an infection, according to infection protection.de.
Anyone who wants to protect others should therefore not use the bathroom or kitchen at the same time as them or sit together at the dining table. If you cannot keep your distance, you should wear mouth and nose protection in your apartment or house. Don’t forget: ventilate regularly to send infectious aerosols outside.
When sneezing or coughing, it is best to turn away from others and put it in your elbow or in a handkerchief. Those infected should wash their hands afterwards.
If necessary, seek medical advice
And when should I go to the doctor? In the case of high-risk patients, the matter is clear: the German Senior Citizens League advises them to contact a family doctor immediately if the corona test is positive. This applies to people over the age of 60 and to everyone who is affected by certain previous illnesses or an immune deficiency.
Doctors then assess the individual risk of a severe course of the disease, for which purpose the vaccination status is checked, among other things. If the risk of severe disease is high, he or she may prescribe antiviral medication. These can stop the virus from multiplying in the body. According to the German Senior Citizens’ League, however, the therapy must start no later than five days after the onset of symptoms.
And what about everyone else? A rule of thumb according to Infection Protection.de: If the state of health does not improve during the first week of the illness or even worsens, medical advice makes sense. Important: It is best to first clarify by telephone when you can come to the practice.
Anyone who needs medical help outside of office hours can reach the medical on-call service on 116 117. In emergencies – such as acute shortness of breath – the emergency number 112 is the right choice.
Source: infection protection.de
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