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Infection and Spread

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Why do some people not get COVID when everyone around them has it?

Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread

TLDR; Many things impact infection risk, including vaccination status, prior exposures, genetics, and the specific details of one’s contact with infected people. Even when conditions seem ideal for transmission, it’s not a done deal. This is why, if COVID comes to your home, it’s worth trying to limit spread. And sometimes, you just get lucky. Read more…

Is it OK to use Flonase, allergy sprays, saline mist, or neti pots before I take a COVID-19 rapid test or will it change my results?

Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing

The answer: There is no evidence that using a nose spray will alter your test results. TL; DR: The SARS CoV-2 rapid antigen tests (aka COVID-19 rapid tests) become positive if they find a lot of the protein that that comes from SARS CoV-2. It is not likely that allergy sprays would change the amount Read more…

If more than one person in a household tests positive for COVID-19, do the positive people need to isolate from each other?

Families/Kids Infection and Spread

A: Isolation is meant to keep others from getting infected. If multiple people in a household are positive, it is OK for them to isolate together. It gets a little more complicated when some people are infected, and others aren’t. Read on for tips and tricks to help you navigate this tricky situation. Many folks Read more…

Welp, I have COVID. When can I stop worrying about giving it to other people?

Infection and Spread Staying Safe

The short answer is: 10 days after you first felt sick or tested positive, assuming you’re feeling better by then. If you’re not better, consult your clinician about ending your isolation period. There have been lots of updates to these guidelines for the time periods around COVID-19 exposures and infections, and reading them can feel Read more…