COVID-19 Isolation Recommendations

COVID-19 Isolation Recommendations

Recommendations provided by Ravalli Public Health Department 

Isolation is used to separate people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from people who are not infected. Please use these instructions to best protect yourself, your family and friends.

You have been diagnosed with COVID-19.  Ravalli County public health request that you go to our website @ https://ravalli.us/631/Corona-Virus-COVID-19

and fill out the COVID-19 Intake PDF and submit to  rcpublichealth@rc.mt.gov  to receive a letter of Isolation. 

Recommendations for isolation are as followed:

  • Stay home except to get medical care
  • Tell your close contacts that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (or 2 days) before the person has any symptoms or tests positive. COVID-19 Exposure Recommendations can be found @ https://ravalli.us/631/Corona-Virus-COVID-19
  • Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (trouble breathing, bluish lips or face, new confusion, inability to wake ), seek emergency medical care immediately
  • Average recovery time is about 10 days from when symptoms began
    • To calculate your recovery time, most individuals are safe to be around others 10 days after symptoms began, provided symptoms have improved and no new symptoms have appeared. 
    • If you had no symptoms, calculate 10 days from testing.
    • If you require “release of isolation” letter for work/school, requests can be made by emailing Public Health: release@rc.mt.gov
      • Please indicate Name, Date of Birth, Test date, Contact Number and questions you may have for the Public Health Nurse
    • Criteria for release: no fever, feeling better, no new symptoms
  • Stay in a separate room from other household members, if possible
  • Use a separate bathroom, if possible
  • Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils
  • Avoid/ Limit contact with household members and pets, wearing a mask can reduce the risk of transmission to them if you must communicate or share common space with family.
  • Clean and disinfecthigh-touch surfaces (phone, remote control, counters, doorknobs, toilets ) in your “sick room” and bathroom; wear disposable gloves.

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