What to do if you are feeling sick in general:

In normal life or while you are self-isolating, you should be watching out for symptoms of COVID-19. These include:

  • Fever/chills
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Shortness of breath

If you have symptoms, you should get tested for COVID-19 by a healthcare provider or at a local collection centre
HealthLink BC recommends testing for anyone with cold or flu symptoms.

If you don’t have symptoms, you don’t need to be tested. If you are unsure if you should get tested, use this online assessment tool or call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1.

If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and have symptoms that can be managed at home, please self-isolate until the following criteria are met:
  • At least 10 days have passed since the start of your symptoms, AND
  • Your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medications (e.g. Tylenol, Advil), AND
  • You are feeling better (e.g. improvement in runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue).

Coughing may persist for several weeks, so coughing alone does not require you to continue to isolate. If you are unsure whether your symptoms are related to allergies or an infection, check with a health care provider.

Sometimes people with COVID-19 have mild illness, but their symptoms may suddenly worsen in a few days. If your symptoms worsen or you become short of breath, call emergency services at 911.

If you became ill after being in contact with a confirmed case or arriving from outside of Canada, continue to self-isolate for 14 days or 10 days after symptoms started, whichever is longer.

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