Living with a household member who tests positive for COVID-19 increases your risk of exposure, but contracting the virus is not guaranteed. The outcome can vary significantly due to several interacting factors. Understanding how the virus spreads and the elements that influence transmission can help you assess your personal risk.
How COVID-19 Spreads in Households
COVID-19 primarily spreads through respiratory particles released by an infected person when they breathe, speak, cough, or sneeze. These particles can range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. Others can become infected by inhaling these particles, or if they land on their eyes, nose, or mouth.
In poorly ventilated or crowded indoor settings, smaller aerosol particles containing the virus can remain suspended in the air for extended periods. Close contact also facilitates transmission, as prolonged time near an infected person increases exposure. The virus can be shed even without symptoms, making unknowing spread possible.
Factors Influencing Your Risk
Several variables determine your individual risk of contracting COVID-19, even when exposed within your home. The amount of virus the infected person is shedding, known as viral load, plays a role in transmission risk; higher viral loads may be more likely to transmit the virus. The duration and intensity of your exposure also matter, as prolonged close contact increases the likelihood of transmission.
Air circulation within your shared living space significantly impacts how virus particles disperse. Good ventilation can help reduce the concentration of infectious particles in the air, lowering the risk of spread. Consistent and proper use of high-quality masks, such as N95 or KN95, by both the infected individual and household contacts, can also reduce transmission. Your vaccination status and any prior COVID-19 infections can influence your immune response and ability to resist infection or experience milder symptoms if infected. Different variants of the virus may also have varying levels of transmissibility, impacting household spread.
Practical Steps to Reduce Transmission
When a household member has COVID-19, specific measures can help minimize transmission risk to others. The infected person should isolate as much as possible, ideally staying in a separate room and using a separate bathroom if feasible. This separation helps contain respiratory particle spread.
Wearing high-quality masks, such as N95s or KN95s, is recommended for both the infected person and household contacts in shared spaces. This practice creates a barrier against the spread and inhalation of virus-containing droplets. Improving ventilation in your home is also important; open windows and doors, use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens, and consider portable air purifiers with HEPA filters.
Maintaining good hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, and counters. Monitor yourself for any symptoms, and if you have been exposed but remain asymptomatic, consider testing at least five full days after your last exposure.
What to Do if You Develop Symptoms
If you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 after exposure, isolate yourself from others in your household immediately to prevent further spread.
Getting tested for COVID-19 is recommended as soon as symptoms develop. If your initial rapid antigen test is negative but you have symptoms, repeat the test after 48 hours, as viral levels might be too low to detect early. Continue to monitor your symptoms closely, noting any changes or worsening.
Seek medical advice if your symptoms are severe, not improving, or if you are at high risk for severe disease due to underlying health conditions. Emergency symptoms requiring immediate medical attention include trouble breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face.