What should I do if I think I have coronavirus?
If you have symptoms of coronavirus, or have been in contact with someone who might have it, stay at home (self-isolate) for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started. Don’t go to your GP, pharmacy or hospital. Use these websites to find out what to do based on your situation. If you live in:
Taking a test
There are two types of test for coronavirus – the PCR test and the lateral flow test.
If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you should apply for a coronavirus PCR test on the NHS website. The tests are either home test kits or a test at a drive through testing centre. The test needs to be done in the first 5 days of having symptoms. Once you have taken the test, it is sent off to a lab.
Lateral flow tests are home test kits which show results within half an hour. You can get these from pharmacies, coronavirus test centres, or your employer.
Lateral flow tests are not as accurate as PCR tests. So if you think you have coronavirus, you should get a PCR test. Read more about tests on the NHS website.
If the test result is positive this means you have coronavirus, and you should continue to self-isolate. The NHS will contact you by email, text or phone as part of the contact tracing service. This aims to reduce the spread of coronavirus. The NHS will ask you where you’ve been recently and who you’ve been in close contact with. They will then contact these people and tell them what to do.
If someone you have been in close contact with recently tests positive for coronavirus, the NHS will also contact you as there is a chance you might get coronavirus. You may need to self-isolate for 10 days from the day you were last in contact with the person.
The contact tracing service is slightly different in the four nations.
