Covid infections in the UK have been steadily increasing since the end of February due to people mixing more after restrictions were axed in England.
On March 15 alone there were 109,802 cases reported, however, health secretary Sajid Javid has said there is "no particular cause for concern", as we now strive to live with the virus.
The legal requirement to self isolate if you catch Covid has been dropped in England, and the government is ending the provision of free tests from April 1.
People are now being urged to act with "personal responsibility", although the NHS is still advising that you should "stay at home and avoid contact with other people".
If you do test positive for coronavirus, here's some things you might want to know, including how long you'll test positive and how long to self isolate for.
How long will I test positive for Covid?
Most people will stop testing positive for Covid within 10 days of starting to experience symptoms, or receiving their first positive test.
However, it's possible to still test positive for weeks, or sometimes months after having the virus.
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance says it's possible to test positive for Covid-19 for weeks, but people are not likely to be contagious for very long.
It explains: "The time taken to test negative after contracting Covid-19 depends on the severity of the case, and also on the test itself.
"PCR tests that hunt out parts of viral genetic material (RNA in the case of Covid-19) in our bodies and amplify it so we can detect it are extremely sensitive and can even pick up the presence of few viral fragments.
"This is because fragments of viral RNA can remain in our bodies long after the infection is over and the virus has been cleared from our system.”
In general, it's reported that asymptomatic people can test positive for one to two weeks, while those with mild-to-moderate disease continue to test positive for a week or more.
How long should you self isolate for?
You are no longer required by law to self isolate in England and Northern Ireland. However, the NHS recommends you "stay at home and avoid contact with other people".
You also no longer need to take daily Covid tests if you've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus in England.
According to the NHS, you should "stay at home while you're infectious to others".
It adds: "This can be up to 10 days from when your symptoms start. Many people will no longer be infectious to others after five days".
The NHS recommends you do rapid lateral flow tests from five days after your symptoms started (or the day you had the test if you don't have symptoms) and another the next day.
It adds: "If both tests are negative and you do not have a high temperature, you're less likely to pass Covid-19 to others and you can go back to your normal routine.
"If your test result is positive on day five, you can carry on doing rapid lateral flow tests every day until you get two negative test results in a row."
In Scotland and Wales you are still required by law to self-isolate after testing positive for Covid.
How long do symptoms last?
According to the NHS, most people feel better within "a few days or weeks and most people make a full recovery within 12 weeks".
However, Covid symptoms can last longer.
According to the Zoe Covid Study App, most people recover within two weeks, and one in 10 people have symptoms after three weeks.
Those who suffer for longer than usual may have something called "long Covid," which describes symptoms you may have after infection.
Common long Covid symptoms, according to the NHS, are:
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- shortness of breath
- chest pain or tightness
- problems with memory and concentration ("brain fog")
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- heart palpitations
- dizziness
- pins and needles
- joint pain
- depression and anxiety
- tinnitus, earaches
- feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
- a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
- rashes
