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CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More

Should I get the virus on purpose?

Some people have been wondering if it’s really that important for them to avoid getting infected with COVID-19. Some have even wondered if they should try to get infected. The thinking goes something like this: “I’m healthy. If I get infected, I probably won’t get very sick. I’ll get over it, and then I’ll be immune.”

Should you try to get infected? In short, the answer is NO.

Here’s why:

Give them the facts.

1

You may get sicker than you think you will.

Being healthy or young is no guarantee that you’ll sail through this disease with no problem. The infection could make you very ill—so ill that you need to be treated in the hospital. And that would add strain to an alreadystressed healthcare system.

2

You could cause other people to get sick.

It can take up to 14 days for symptoms to start. Even before you know you’re infected, you could spread the disease to other people—friends, family, coworkers, even people you casually come in contact with. Some of them could get very sick and need intensive care. And some could die.

3

It’s not clear that you’ll be immune.

COVID-19 is a new virus, so we don’t know very much about it yet. That includes whether having it one time means you won’t get it again. That may not be the case. Think of the flu: Having it once doesn’t mean you won’t get it again. Like COVID-19, the flu is caused by a virus. Viruses change quickly. That’s why the flu vaccine has to be adjusted from year to year, and it’s why you need to get a flu shot every year.

So stay safe. Take steps to avoid getting the virus. And avoid spreading it to others.