Information for people with respiratory illness

I’m sick with a respiratory illness. What should I do?

Staying home when you are sick lowers the chance of spreading illnesses such as COVID-19 and influenza to others. You should stay home until:

• Your symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if you had nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea);
• You do not have a fever, and;
• You do not develop any additional symptoms.

Consult with a pharmacist or primary health care provider if you're at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19 or influenza.

• Paxlovid™ is an oral antiviral medication to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at higher risk of severe illness. Not everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 would benefit from antiviral treatment. Pharmacists and primary health care providers can prescribe Paxlovid. Rapid antigen tests are available for purchase at various retail locations and online.
• Patients with severe, complicated, or progressive influenza that are at higher risk of complications may benefit from oral antiviral treatment with Oseltamivir (Tamiflu®). Primary health care providers can prescribe Oseltamivir.

If you have severe symptoms like chest pain or difficulty breathing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Should I get tested if I think I have COVID-19 or influenza?

The majority of people do not need to be tested if they are sick with a respiratory illness. However, some people who are at high risk for severe complications may be recommended to take antiviral medication to treat COVID-19 or influenza. Contact your family doctor or nurse practitioner; contact a walk-in clinic; or, if you are registered for virtual care, contact Maple for an online assessment.

Protect others during your recovery.

• You may be contagious for up to 10 days or more since your symptoms first appeared. Therefore, for 10 days after your symptoms started:
  • Wear a well-fitted mask in all public settings;
  • Avoid non-essential activities where you need to take off your mask (for example, dining out);
  • Avoid non-essential visits to anyone who is immunocompromised or may be at higher risk of illness (for example, seniors);
  • Avoid non-essential visits to the highest risk settings in the community, such as hospitals and long-term care homes.