Coronavirus (COVID-19)
A new coronavirus—Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)—was detected in Wuhan, China in late 2019. This novel coronavirus causes a respiratory (lung) infection.
Included on this page:
What to do if you test positive:
If you test positive you must isolate – whether or not you are vaccinated. This isolation means you must be alone, without direct contact with anyone else, until you can no longer spread the virus.
Day 0: This is the day you experienced your first symptom or took a COVID-19 test that came back positive— whichever came first.
Day 1-5: Isolate from all people, including those in your household if possible.
Day 6-10: You may leave your house if you have been fever free for 24-hours without fever-reducing medicine AND your symptoms are improving. Continue to wear a mask around others until Day 10. Avoid travel and contact with people at high risk of serious illness.
Resources are available to support you if you need medical, housing, food, or other assistance. If you need help getting resources to stay at home, call the Hudson Health Department.
Example COVID-19 Isolation Timeline
What is a close contact?
If you test positive for COVID-19, you should tell all close contacts so they can take precautions and test themselves.
Close contacts are people who were less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. For example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes.
People are considered infectious for 2 days before the onset of symptoms or a positive test. For example, if you took a test on Monday, anybody you saw on Saturday or Sunday for 15 minutes or more would be a close contact. Anybody you saw after you took the COVID-19 test or developed symptoms would also be considered a close contact. Always count from the day you took the COVID-19 test, even if you did not get results for a few days.
Identifying Close Contacts Timeline
What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19 (Close contact)
All people exposed to COVID-19 must follow quarantine guidelines. “Quarantine” means that you should not leave your house or be in contact with others for any reason except emergencies.
Resources are available to support you if you need medical, housing, food, or other assistance. If you need help getting resources to stay at home, call the Hudson Health Department.
Click the links below for quarantine guidelines by category:
COVID-19 Testing
You should test if you develop any symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection. You should also get tested 5-6 days after you are exposed to somebody with COVID-19.
The Health Department may have free at-home COVID-19 test kits available. Call the office at 978-562-2020 to find out. Find a COVID-19 test using this online tool from Mass.gov.
COVID-19 Vaccination
COVID-19 vaccines & boosters are free, safe & effective. People ages 6 months+ who live, work, or study in Massachusetts should get a COVID-19 vaccine. People ages 5+ should get a booster. Sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine at vaxfinder.mass.gov. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines here.
All people age 5+ who live, work, or study in Massachusetts can get vaccinated against COVID-19.
You do NOT need an ID or insurance to get a COVID-19 vaccine. People ages 5-16 can receive the Pfizer vaccine. People age 18 and older can receive any authorized vaccine.
All people age 5+ are encouraged to get a COVID-19 booster.
People who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine should receive a booster dose at least 2 months after vaccination.
People who received Moderna/Pfizer vaccines should get a booster dose 5 months after their second dose.
Special recommendations for people age 50+ and those with certain medical conditions:
Those with a weakened immune system may need more doses of COVID-19 vaccine to protect them. People with certain medical conditions may need 3 doses as part of their primary series, as well as a second booster dose 4 months after their first booster.
People age 50+ may get a second booster dose 4 months after their first booster.
IS THE COVID-19 VACCINE SAFE?
COVID-19 vaccines have been tested in Phase 3 clinical trials. Common side effects include injection site irritation (redness, swelling, soreness), headache, fever/chills, muscle/joint pain, nausea, and fatigue. These side effects are signs that your immune system is working to create antibodies, proteins that help you fight the coronavirus. Learn more about vaccine safety from the CDC and Mass.gov.
If you have questions about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine due to a history of allergies or other medical conditions, please speak with your primary care physician.
COVID-19 Variants
About COVID-19 Variants
Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic. Scientists monitor these changes. By carefully studying viruses, scientists can learn how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and how sick people will get from it.
Some variations allow the virus to spread more easily or make it resistant to treatments or vaccines. Those variants must be monitored more carefully. Scientists are monitoring the following variants in the United States:
B.1.1.7 (Alpha)
B.1.351 (Beta)
P.1 (Gamma)
B.1.617.2 (Delta)
B.1.1.529 (Omicron)
BA.1
BA.1.1
BA.2
BA.3
BA.4
BA.5
These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. Scientists will continue to study these and other variants. Learn more about COVID-19 variants from the CDC.
Mental Health Resources
It is important to take care of your mental and emotional health during this time. Here are some resources to keep you feeling your best:
Tips for Combating Loneliness and Isolation when practicing social distancing
Write a letter to a friend! Just make sure to wash your hands after going to the mailbox.
If you are healthy, help a neighbor, family member, or friend. You could pick up their groceries, clean their lawn, or just give them a call. Just make sure to wash your hands before and after errands and stay 6 feet apart from anyone you come in contact with.
Schedule a virtual hangout on FaceTime, Google Hangouts, or Zoom.
Connect with loved ones on social media. Too much time on social media can make stress and anxiety worse, so be mindful of who you follow and how much time you spend online.
Resources for Reducing Stress
Stigma and Discrimination Prevention
Misinformation about COVID-19 may lead to stigma and discrimination against people and places. To learn more, check out this list of resources from Mass.gov.
Mental Health Crisis Support
Samaritans Helpline: call 1-877-870-4673
Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: call 1-800985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
Massachusetts Emergency Services Program/Mobile Crisis Intervention: call 1-877-382-1609
For more information on mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak, check out this website from Mass.gov.
More Information
Massachusetts 2-1-1 Help Line Is Available to Respond to COVID-19
