Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
I Was Diagnosed With Covid On 01/20/2021. Its Been Six
Question: I was diagnosed with covid on 01/20/2021. Its been six days now Ive been quarinetining. However I had headaches each morning I woke up on 1/13 and 1/14/2021 and then lost my sense of smell and taste on 01/17/2020. When should I go back to retest? Is it true that my results will still be positive up to 90 days after the date of my positive diagnosis? Also when do you recommend I take the covid vaccine?
Brief Answer:
please read the complete answer
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
retesting is not absolutely necessary. You can consider retesting after you've become asymptomatic for at least 2-3 days. If you're talking about the antigen or PCR-test then the answer is "no". The antigen test may become negative after the first week or so even if you're still having symptoms of COVID-19. The PCR-test may remain positive even for weeks and even after you've recovered. A positive test 90 days after the diagnosis would be very very unusual - unless you're talking about the antibody test which may be positive for months.
Now regarding vaccination, things are not clear yet. It's not certain that you need the vaccine. You should follow the guidance of the local authorities. The current recommendations suggest scheduling vaccination regardless of prior COVID-19. People with recent infection may delay their vaccination since their immunity is supposed to protect them right after recovery. None of the above is adequately documented.
The vaccine can be done as soon as the patient has fully recovered.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis,
Internal Medicine Specialist
please read the complete answer
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
retesting is not absolutely necessary. You can consider retesting after you've become asymptomatic for at least 2-3 days. If you're talking about the antigen or PCR-test then the answer is "no". The antigen test may become negative after the first week or so even if you're still having symptoms of COVID-19. The PCR-test may remain positive even for weeks and even after you've recovered. A positive test 90 days after the diagnosis would be very very unusual - unless you're talking about the antibody test which may be positive for months.
Now regarding vaccination, things are not clear yet. It's not certain that you need the vaccine. You should follow the guidance of the local authorities. The current recommendations suggest scheduling vaccination regardless of prior COVID-19. People with recent infection may delay their vaccination since their immunity is supposed to protect them right after recovery. None of the above is adequately documented.
The vaccine can be done as soon as the patient has fully recovered.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis,
Internal Medicine Specialist
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
