So you've got COVID. Here's what to do

Omicron is so ridiculously contagious that even if you follow recommended precautions, you still might get it. And if your job requires you to interact with people or if you have kids in your household, forget it; it can feel more like a "when" rather than an "if."

So while it's still important to try to keep COVID out of your household — since you never know when someone could end up seriously ill — here's what to do if you or someone you live with does get it.

We talked to four experts who lay out the steps you need to take to care for your physical and mental health, and how to keep your community safe, from the moment you or a member of your household has been exposed to when you can spring back into regular life post recovery.

Because, yes, this can be a scary, stressful and logistically confusing time. So take a deep breath. You've got this. Here we go.

Step 1: Confirm if you really have it

If you are showing signs of a virus (fever, headache, congestion, sore throat, gastrointestinal issues) what you do next can really depend on your access to testing, says Dr. Cassandra Pierre, medical director of public health programs at Boston Medical Center and a parent of 4-year-old twins who just had COVID.

If you have a decent supply of at-home antigen tests, says Pierre, go ahead and take one as soon as you feel ill. "But do not," she stresses, "use that test as proof-positive that you can go out and interact in society,