What to do after a coronavirus test?
A covid-19 test determines whether you have a coronavirus infection. The instructions below tell you what to do if you have recently been tested.
Please stay at home until the test result is confirmed
It takes about one day to get the test result. If you have not received the test result within three days, check the result at My Kanta Pages. If the test result does not appear at My Kanta, please call Helsinki’s Coronavirus Helpline (open Mon-Fri 8.00-16.00), tel. 09 310 10024.To protect other people, you must stay at home at least until the test result is confirmed. Do not go grocery shopping or to the pharmacy, for example.
Symptomless family members do not need to quarantine themselves while you are waiting for the results, but they should contact their employers to make sure they are allowed to go to work.
You are primarily responsible for organising the food and medicine delivery that you need. If necessary, call the Social Services counselling, tel. 09 310 44400 (weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm).
If you have questions regarding coronavirus symptoms, you can also ask about corona from the chatbot on www.hel.fi (the chat is live on weekdays 9.00-14.00).
If your test result is positive, meaning that you have a coronavirus infection
You will receive a text message with the following notification in Finnish: ”Koronatestisi on positiivinen, eli sinulla on koronavirustartunta.”Avoid contact with people until you have no symptoms or until your symptoms have clearly improved. If you need sick leave, follow the usual practices in your place of work or study.
If your symptoms get worse, make a coronavirus symptom assessment at omaolo.fi, ask about coronavirus from the chatbot on www.hel.fi (the chat is live on weekdays 9.00-14.00) or call the Coronavirus Helpline, tel. 09 310 10024 (available Mon-Fri 8.00-16.00).
Further information for people with coronavirusIn the current epidemic situation, contact tracing will be carried out progressively only in housing units for high-risk groups, care homes and health care units. As a rule, other people infected with COVID-19 will no longer be placed in isolation in accordance with the Communicable Diseases Act and those having been exposed will no longer be quarantined.
If you have been ordered to be isolated in accordance with the Communicable Diseases Act, you will receive separate instructions and must follow them.
Instructions for people in isolation
What to do if the test result is positive and you don’t have any symptoms
Use a face mask especially carefully when you meet people who are not living in your household. Avoid unnecessary contacts and keep a safe distance to others outside your home. Maintain a good hand and coughing hygiene.
We recommend that you stay away from your work place for five days. Contact your employer or e.g. study facility and ask if you can work or study remotely for about five days. If it’s not possible to be remote then you must agree with your employer about the absence or coming to work properly protected. Sick leave is usually not granted if a person does not have any symptoms.
Even if you have only mild symptoms, you must stay at home to recover.
Further instructions for people with respiratory infection symptoms or coronavirus
If your test result is negative, meaning that you do not have a coronavirus infection
You will receive a text message with the following notification in Finnish: “Koronatestisi tulos oli negatiivinen, eli näytteessä ei ilmennyt koronavirusta.” However, it is important that you to stay in quarantine-like conditions for as long as you have symptoms. A child can return to daycare once their symptoms have clearly improved.
If you need proof that you have had a COVID test, you can download an EU Digital COVID Certificate at My Kanta, which also contains an EU certificate of a negative COVID-19 test result. The certificate will show your latest test result. Your information will be transferred to My Kanta within approximately five days, so please be patient.
If your condition deteriorates and you feel that you cannot cope at home
Make a symptom assessment at omaolo.fi or ask about coronavirus from the chatbot on www.hel.fi (the chat is live on weekdays 9.00-14.00).
If you are unable to make a symptom assessment, call the Coronavirus Helpline, tel. 09 310 10024 (available Mon-Fri 8.00-16.00).
If you are experiencing more serious symptoms, such as shortness of breath or a deteriorating general condition and are thinking about going to the emergency clinic, call the Medical Helpline, tel. 116 117.
In a life-threatening situation, please call the national emergency number 112.
Did you not find an answer to your question?
Coronavirus Helpline provides assistance for Helsinkians who think they may have been exposed to the coronavirus or who based on their symptoms think they have been infected with the coronavirus. Coronavirus Helpline »
More information
Coronavirus FAQTreatment of coronavirus and instructions for the infected (THL)
EU Digital COVID Certificate can be obtained from My Kanta
Latest news on Coronavirus
Coronavirus information in different languages
03.06.2022 14:08