These current CDC guidelines were written before the arrival of the newest BA.5
variant, which is Highly Transmissible. Please consider being even more cautious, by wearing your mask in indoor situations and by testing more often than these guidelines suggest. You will see comments from the Task Force, in red below, suggesting the more careful steps.
Prepare your “Covid comfort kit” and get some tests before problems arise – once you have symptoms, or you test positive, you really should stay home!
COVID SYMPTOMS – mild to severe occurrence of any of these. May appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
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WHEN SHOULD I TEST?
After a close exposure, do I need to quarantine? NO
- You do not need to quarantine (stay home) after a close exposure.
You do need to wear a well-fitting mask when indoors and around others for 10 more days after the day of your last contact with the infected person (Day 0).
Test on Day 6 after your exposure, even if you do not have any symptoms. With the new variant it might be useful to test on Day 4, and again on Day 6, if you have enough tests. Even if you test negative, you might still be brewing Covid, so keep wearing the mask indoors around people through Day 10.
If you develop any possible Covid symptoms at any time, isolate at home and test immediately.
- If you had Covid within the last three months, but you develop symptoms again, use a home antigen test immediately. Discuss results with your doctor; it is hard to distinguish between a new infection and a persistent positive test from the last infection.
If you have had Covid recently, are asymptomatic now, but testing is suggested because of an exposure... If your previous Covid test was positive within the past 30 days, you do not need to test. If it was positive within the past 31-90 days, test as directed with a home test.
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IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID:
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IF YOU DEVELOP COVID SYMPTOMS:
Test Results:
When you have symptoms, and your test is positive:
Isolate = Stay Home and Avoid Contact with others for at least 5 more days.
Then, if your symptoms are improving and you have not had fever for 24 hours, you can go out – but always with a mask for the next 5 days.
When you have symptoms, but your immediate test is negative:
You may really have Covid, but not quite enough virus for the test to read positive... or you may have something else. Don’t spread it, whatever it is!
Test again in two days, and continue to isolate until you’re double-sure it’s not Covid.
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WHERE CAN I GET TESTS, or GET TESTED?
Home Antigen tests – pack of 5, delivered to your home. $950 pesos, cash only.
Call Natan: +52 415 149 9092 (Natan speaks English and Spanish)
Testing at Cruz Roja (on the Libramiento): $499 pesos, result in 20 min.
Open Mon-Sat 9-3, Sun 11-2
Test service comes to your home: see updated SMA Covid Task Force info at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Mz-Wd3o73sjPCapOSQ16i1dzYP7xbAd/view
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TRAVEL GUIDELINES
Before you go:
Do NOT travel if…
While you’re traveling:
Wear a well-fitting (N95-type) mask properly over your nose and mouth when indoors on public transportation and at transportation hubs. It is especially important:
After you arrive:
variant, which is Highly Transmissible. Please consider being even more cautious, by wearing your mask in indoor situations and by testing more often than these guidelines suggest. You will see comments from the Task Force, in red below, suggesting the more careful steps.
Prepare your “Covid comfort kit” and get some tests before problems arise – once you have symptoms, or you test positive, you really should stay home!
COVID SYMPTOMS – mild to severe occurrence of any of these. May appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
- Fever (100.4 or greater)
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- New loss of taste or smell
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WHEN SHOULD I TEST?
- If you have Symptoms of COVID, test immediately.
- If you have a Close Exposure (shared air) with a person who has Covid, watch for symptoms for the next 10 days. Consider your encounters with that person while they had symptoms, and for the 2 days before they had symptoms (or before they tested positive), since they were already contagious then.
After a close exposure, do I need to quarantine? NO
- You do not need to quarantine (stay home) after a close exposure.
You do need to wear a well-fitting mask when indoors and around others for 10 more days after the day of your last contact with the infected person (Day 0).
Test on Day 6 after your exposure, even if you do not have any symptoms. With the new variant it might be useful to test on Day 4, and again on Day 6, if you have enough tests. Even if you test negative, you might still be brewing Covid, so keep wearing the mask indoors around people through Day 10.
If you develop any possible Covid symptoms at any time, isolate at home and test immediately.
- If you had Covid within the last three months, but you develop symptoms again, use a home antigen test immediately. Discuss results with your doctor; it is hard to distinguish between a new infection and a persistent positive test from the last infection.
If you have had Covid recently, are asymptomatic now, but testing is suggested because of an exposure... If your previous Covid test was positive within the past 30 days, you do not need to test. If it was positive within the past 31-90 days, test as directed with a home test.
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IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID:
- Stay home and isolate. Avoid contact with others for at least 5 more days.
- Wear a high-quality mask for the next 10 days whenever you are around others, in your home or in public.
- Don’t go places you are unable to wear a mask. Don’t travel.
- Ventilate your home to reduce exposures to others.
- Notify your doctor, and ask about Paxlovid (we expect availability in Mexico soon...).
- Tell people you had recent contact with that they may have been exposed, and encourage them to follow the 10-day exposure guidelines above.
- On Day 6, if you have no symptoms, or all your symptoms are improving and you have not had fever for 24 hours, you can go out – but always with a mask for the next 5 days. Some people will still be infectious after the first 5 days.
- If you had breathing problems with your Covid, continue isolation for the full 10 days.
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IF YOU DEVELOP COVID SYMPTOMS:
- Isolate immediately – That means stay home, stay away from others.
Please don’t wait to see if maybe you’ll feel better tomorrow!
- Get tested, as soon as possible. Home tests are fine for this purpose.
- Stay home until you know the results.
- Wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home.
Test Results:
When you have symptoms, and your test is positive:
Isolate = Stay Home and Avoid Contact with others for at least 5 more days.
Then, if your symptoms are improving and you have not had fever for 24 hours, you can go out – but always with a mask for the next 5 days.
When you have symptoms, but your immediate test is negative:
You may really have Covid, but not quite enough virus for the test to read positive... or you may have something else. Don’t spread it, whatever it is!
Test again in two days, and continue to isolate until you’re double-sure it’s not Covid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHERE CAN I GET TESTS, or GET TESTED?
Home Antigen tests – pack of 5, delivered to your home. $950 pesos, cash only.
Call Natan: +52 415 149 9092 (Natan speaks English and Spanish)
Testing at Cruz Roja (on the Libramiento): $499 pesos, result in 20 min.
Open Mon-Sat 9-3, Sun 11-2
Test service comes to your home: see updated SMA Covid Task Force info at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Mz-Wd3o73sjPCapOSQ16i1dzYP7xbAd/view
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TRAVEL GUIDELINES
Before you go:
- Check requirements for testing and vaccines at your destination.
- Even if no tests are required, consider doing a home antigen test shortly before you travel (no more than 3 days before).
- Carry proof of all your Covid-19 immunizations.
- Be sure to have a well-fitting mask (N95-type).
Do NOT travel if…
- You have Covid symptoms -- doesn’t matter what your vaccination status is, or if you had Covid recently. Don’t go.
- You tested positive for Covid -- wait 10 full days after symptoms started before traveling, or 10 days from positive test if you had no symptoms.
- You’re waiting for results of a Covid test. If your test comes back positive while you are at your destination, you will need to isolate and postpone your return until it’s safe for you to travel. Your travel companions may need to quarantine.
- You had close contact with a person with Covid. Do not travel until a full 5 days after your last close contact with the person with Covid, and you are symptom-free, and have a negative Day 5 test. It is best to avoid travel for a full 10 days after your last exposure. Follow the Close Exposure guidelines carefully. If you cannot properly wear a well-fitting mask during the 10-day period, don’t travel!
While you’re traveling:
Wear a well-fitting (N95-type) mask properly over your nose and mouth when indoors on public transportation and at transportation hubs. It is especially important:
- During times when public transportation or transportation hubs are crowded
- In areas that are poorly ventilated. Examples of poorly ventilated areas include:
- Small, enclosed spaces, such as airport jetways
- Public transportation during periods when the ventilation system is off and windows are closed (e.g., when the engine is turned off on an airplane)
- If you are at high risk for getting very sick from Covid, or if you live with or have social contact with someone at high risk
- During long-distance domestic travel, during international travel, and in hubs which serve international travelers.
- When the Covid Community Level in your departure city, lay-over hub cities, or arrival city is high (applies to US locations only)
- If you came into close contact with someone with Covid. Wear a well-fitting mask around others, including when traveling or using public transportation, until 10 days from the date of your last close contact.
After you arrive:
- Get tested for current infection with a Covid test 3-5 days after arrival. Wear a mask around others until after you receive a negative test result.
- Self-monitor for Covid symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
- Follow all local recommendations or requirements after arrival.
