Find information about isolating, monitoring your health, treatments and when to get care.
Updated November 15, 2023
People who have COVID-19 are no longer required to self-isolate. If you have symptoms, stay home and away from others, especially people at higher risk of severe illness or complications from COVID-19, until your fever is gone (without the use of medicines that reduce fever, like Tylenol) and you feel well enough to participate in daily activities.
People who work in settings with people at higher risk should consult their workplace-specific policies for guidance. There are also provincial guidelines for returning to work following suspected or confirmed respiratory illness, and management of health care workers following close contact exposures.
If you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 close contacts page to learn what to do next.
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What is self monitoring?
Self-monitoring is when you check for symptoms of COVID-19. You should do this routinely and stay home if you feel unwell or develop symptoms.
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Post-COVID-19 recovery clinic
You can be referred if you have a BC Services Card and are still experiencing symptoms that limit your function and quality of life three months or more post-COVID-19. Speak to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about a referral. Learn more.
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When to seek medical care
- If you have worsening symptoms, call 8-1-1, your family doctor or an Urgent and Primary Care Centre. You can also call Fraser Health Virtual Care at 1-800-314-0999 between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., seven days a week.
- If you develop symptoms that are not associated with COVID-19, it is important that you still follow-up with medical care.
- Call 9-1-1 if at any time you are feeling very unwell and are worried this might be an emergency (such as difficulty breathing or chest pain).
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If a staff, child or other person in childcare is sick
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How do I self-isolate?
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, there are measures you should take to prevent spreading the illness to others. This includes staying home, avoiding others as much as possible and washing your hands regularly.
Learn more about self-isolating. -
Stay connected
- While you are self-isolating, keep connected with friends or family virtually or over the phone.
- Visit our mental well-being page to learn more about available mental well-being support services
- If you have non-health related questions about support services, call Service BC at 1-888-268-4319 (available 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., seven days a week).
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COVID-19 treatments
An online screening and virtual assessment service is available for people who tested positive for COVID-19, to see if they would benefit from receiving antiviral treatments.
How to request and get treatment
If you have reviewed the criteria and believe you would benefit from treatment, start the request process as soon as possible because delays may mean you are not able to receive treatments.
You are not guaranteed treatment, because it is not suitable for everyone and must be prescribed by a primary care provider. At any step of the process, a physician or pharmacist may decide that treatment is not right for you.
Option one: Talk to your primary care provider
If you have a primary care provider, contact them as soon as possible to talk about treatment options.
If you cannot get an appointment within three days of your symptoms starting, you should request treatment via Service BC instead.
Option 2: Request treatment through 8-1-1, Service BC or Fraser Health Virtual Care
If you do not have access to a primary care provider or cannot get an appointment within three days of developing symptoms, you can call 8-1-1 or Fraser Health Virtual Care at 1-800-314-0999 between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., seven days a week.
Service BC also arranges appointments for anyone who cannot get an appointment with a primary care provider.
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Notify your close contacts
If you test positive for COVID-19, you should notify anyone who has been near you for at least 15 minutes when health and safety measures were not in place or were insufficient.
Are you a close contact of someone who has tested positive? Learn what to do.
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When to get medical care
If you have worsening symptoms, call 8-1-1, your family doctor or an Urgent and Primary Care Centre. You can also call Fraser Health Virtual Care at 1-800-314-0999 between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., seven days a week.
If you develop symptoms that are not associated with COVID-19, it is important that you still follow-up with medical care.
Call 9-1-1 if at any time you are feeling very unwell and are worried this might be an emergency (such as difficulty breathing or chest pain). -
Caring for a child who has COVID-19
Consider the child’s age and mental and physical well-being when caring for a child who is sick. Steps such as self-isolation can be stressful for young children. Some caregivers choose to self-isolate along with their children if they have COVID-19, to help limit the spread in a household.
Children generally have milder COVID-19 symptoms than adults. However, in rare circumstances, children can become quite ill. Take your child immediately to your nearest emergency department or call 911 if they:
- are having difficulty breathing
- have blue lips or skin, or appear very pale
- have red and/or swollen lips or tongue
- are coughing excessively, particularly with a fever
- are vomiting excessively, especially if there is blood in the vomit
- have diarrhea and vomiting, are not producing tears and have not urinated for several hours
- have a high fever, appear very sleepy and have not improved with acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil).
- are under three months of age and has a fever of 38 degrees C (100.4 degrees F) or greater
- have pain or pressure in the chest that does not go away
- have new confusion
- have the inability to wake or stay awake
- have severe abdominal pain
- have a spreading rash
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Travelers to Canada
Travelers to Canada are required to follow current Government of Canada guidelines.