What to do if you suspect having contracted the coronavirus
Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, diarrhea, muscle ache, and loss of smell and taste.
From June 18, 2023, residents of Uusimaa who are at risk for severe coronavirus disease can book an appointment to the only coronavirus sampling point, Biomedicum in Helsinki (at the address Haartmaninkatu 8), via the Coronabot or by calling their municipality’s / wellbeing services county’s health center.
A laboratory-confirmed coronavirus test can also be taken with a doctor's referral in the wellbeing services counties, but only at certain HUSLAB laboratories (see a list of the HUSLAB laboratories). At-home antigen tests for COVID-19 can also be taken. If the first at-home test is negative, it is advisable to primarily have a laboratory-confirmed test taken or to repeat the home test after 1 or 2 days.
You can book an appointment for a COVID-19 test via the Coronabot or Omaolo websites if you have symptoms of a COVID-19 infection and:
1. You are at risk for a severe coronavirus disease
- You belong to a group at risk for a severe coronavirus disease (see the website of Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare for the risk groups
- You are aged 18 or older and you belong to a group at risk for severe coronavirus disease for whom Paxlovid medication should be started urgently (see HUS website for target groups for Paxlovid
- You have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and you have not previously had COVID-19
- You’re at risk for thrombosis due to COVID-19 (see HUS website for risk factors (in Finnish))*
- You are pregnant (see HUS website for risk factors (in Finnish))**
*If your COVID-19 test is positive, contact your health center for an assessment of possible heparin therapy. If you belong to any of the target groups for Paxlovid medication, a centralized Paxlovid helpline provided by Pihlajalinna will also assess the need for heparin therapy.
** If your COVID-19 test is positive, contact your health center for an assessment of possible heparin therapy.
2. You are a social welfare or healthcare professional
You do not need to get tested for COVID-19. However, you still have the option to book an appointment for a coronavirus test through Coronabot if you are a social welfare or healthcare professional and work in direct client and patient care or work in care or disability services.
From June 18, 2023, residents of Uusimaa who are at risk for severe coronavirus disease can book an appointment to the only coronavirus sampling point, Biomedicum in Helsinki (at the address Haartmaninkatu 8), via the Coronabot or by calling their municipality’s / wellbeing services county’s health center. A laboratory-confirmed coronavirus test can also be taken with a doctor's referral in the wellbeing services counties, but only at certain HUSLAB laboratories (see a list of the laboratories).
- You can book a test for yourself and your under 16-year-old children. It is also possible to book a test on behalf of another adult if you have been authorized to do so via the Suomi.fi service. You will need online banking credentials or a mobile ID to book an appointment.
- A COVID-19 test done by HUS will always be free of charge for you. The test is also free of charge when the sampling site is operated by a subcontractor.
- You can book an appointment to a health center in your municipality / wellbeing services county if you need a medical assessment of your symptoms.
- HUS COVID-19 testing site Biomedicum, Helsinki (book an appointment via Coronabot)
- HUSLAB laboratories with COVID-testing (with a doctor's referral)
- A video on how the test is taken
Cancelling a COVID-19 test appointment
When you book a test via Coronabot, you will receive an SMS/e-mail containing a booking confirmation, arrival instructions and a code with which you can cancel the appointment.
If your symptoms are mild (such as a runny nose or sore throat) and you are not eligible for a laboratory-confirmed coronavirus test (see Getting tested for COVID-19 at HUS above), you can take an at-home antigen test. Please familiarize yourself carefully with the instructions for taking an at-home test and how to interpret the result (see THL's instructions).
If the at-home test is negative and you have symptoms, you can repeat the test after 1 or 2 days or on several consecutive days. A negative result from an at-home test does not exclude the possibility that the virus's incubation period is still ongoing, and the virus can be detected later.
If you have a COVID-19 infection confirmed with a home test or a laboratory test, follow these steps:
It is recommended to stay at home until the symptoms have significantly subsided and you don’t have a fever anymore. This generally takes 3 to 5 days. Request for sick leave in accordance with the normal sick leave policy at your workplace.
It is advisable to send your child to school or daycare only when the symptoms have clearly subsided, the fever is gone, and the child is well enough to attend classes or early childhood education
- Terveyskylä health portal (in Finnish): Treating a respiratory infection at home (in Finnish)
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare: How to treat COVID-19 at home
Call the Medical Helpline 116 117 if you cannot cope with your symptoms at home. Medical Helpline will assess your symptoms and condition and direct you to the appropriate place of care.
The Medical Helpline cannot help you with the following COVID-19 issues: booking a test, test results, certificate for sick leave, quarantine decisions, booking a vaccine, or COVID-19 passport issues.
If a person with COVID-19 shows emergency warning signs, call the emergency number 112.