LITTLE ROCK, Ark — As cases continue in Arkansas, there's a growing chance you personally know someone infected.
But a lot of people still have questions about the virus and what to do if you're exposed.
"Folks in wanting to be vigilant might want to be tested immediately," said Dr. Neha Shah with Thrive Alabama. But actually, waiting five to eight days after exposure is the best chance of getting an accurate test. But, that doesn't deny the need for quarantine."
Once you do get tested, some may feel you're in a bit of a grey area while you wait, sometimes up to a few days, on the test results.
Dr. Shah says during that time, it's better to be safe than sorry.
"While you're waiting, if you do have a good history of exposure or are having symptoms, it is recommended that you go ahead and start quarantining," Dr. Shah said.
Once you test positive, then you go from being in quarantine to being in isolation.
"That's when you're really going to try to separate from anyone else in your household. You're going to not share kitchen utensils, have food outside your door, things like that," she explained.
And how do you know when your quarantine or isolation period is over?
"If you're symptomatic, you want to wait 10 days since your symptoms started. Then, 24 hours being fever-free with symptoms improving. If you're asymptomatic and you were exposed by somebody, and you got tested and the test came back positive, you need to wait 10 days since the test was positive, since you don't have the symptoms to go by."
Of course, if you feel you might've been exposed, you shouldn't be out in public. But, Dr. Shah says to wear a clean mask and keep it over your nose at all times.
If you do turn up positive, the CDC guidelines say you should wait at least 10 days during your isolation period before getting re-tested. Don't try to get out of isolation early.
If the re-test comes back positive, you'll have to start the process all over again.