DURHAM TESTING SITE

Many of the links below can be found in multiple languages.  Muchos de los enlaces siguientes se pueden encontrar en varios idiomas.

Vaccinations & Boosters:

• Vaccinations are a critical component of medicine and have been formally used  in the US for over 100 years to protect patients from not only illnesses but with targeted goals to prevent what is called disease burden and/or to reduce the severity of an infection.
• It is important to understand that when a person chooses to receive a vaccine, they are protecting their self AND they are also protecting ALL other individuals they come into contact with day to day. It is important to protect each other because some not everyone is able to be vaccinated.  Some of the reasons people may not get vaccinated include, but are not limited to: age,  drug interactions for life-sustaining medications, allergic reactions, other health complications.
• The CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccinations is very detailed and helpful, including their frequently asked questions (FAQ) and myth buster summary
• The NC Department of Health & Human Services website also has great resources regarding the 7 Things You Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccines.

Acute Symptoms:

• There are a wide range of symptoms that patients can experience when infected with COVID-19 with and without vaccination. 
• Symptoms can appear within 2-14 days of exposure to COVID-19
• A Study published in August 2021, proposes that 35.1% of patients with active COVID-19 virus do NOT have symptoms.  These individuals are still contagious to those they come in contact with.

When to Seek Emergency Medical Care: Call 911 to seek emergency medical care immediately if any of the following occur:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

Quarantine vs. Isolation:

• Quarantine: refers to recommendations due to an EXPOSURE to an individual who has tested POSITIVE for COVID-19
• Isolation: refers to recommendations that you PERSONALLY have tested POSITIVE  for COVID-19

Unvaccinated Quarantine Guidelines per the CDC if you have been within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone who has COVID-19:

• Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
• Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
• If possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.
• You may be able to shorten your quarantine-- Your local public health authorities In areas using options to reduce quarantine times, OPTION 1: people who are asymptomatic can use a negative test result collected on day five (5) after exposure to exit quarantine on day seven (7), with additional self-monitoring. The day of exposure is considered day zero (0). OPTION 2:  10 days have passed since the last date of exposure to COVID-19 AND no symptoms. 

Fully-Vaccinated Quarantine Guidelines per the CDC, if you have been within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone who has COVID-19:

• Per CDC, you do NOT need to quarantine after above contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless you have symptoms. 
• However, fully vaccinated people should get tested 5-7 days after their exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms AND wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is NEGATIVE. 

Long-Term COVID-19 Effects:

• Most patients who are infected with COVID-19 recover within a couple weeks of diagnosis. However, some patients continue to experience symptoms after active infection has resolved. 
• The CDC has created education for Post-COVID Conditions and Symptoms that are being studied and followed for issues that are noted at 4 or more weeks after being diagnosed.
• A recent study has shown that COVID-19 vaccination is protective against long-COVID and that effect persists even if vaccination occurs up to 12 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis.