GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Current information about covid-19

Here you can read about infection, testing and recommendations from the authorities to help protect the most vulnerable in society.

Travelling to Denmark

There are no covid-19-related restrictions in Denmark, only a few recommendations for preventing disease.

Read about current recommendations here:

covidtravelrules

General advice for preventing infection

The best thing you can do to prevent infection is to follow the general advice of the Danish Health Authority:

  1. Stay home if you are ill
  2. Open windows and doors and ventilate your home regularly
  3. Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer
  4. Clean thoroughly and regularly, especially surfaces that are touched by many people
  5. Cough and sneeze into your sleeve

Prevent infection (sst.dk)

Face mask recommendations

People with symptoms of respiratory infections are recommended to wear masks in healthcare settings. You should also wear a mask when going to the doctor or hospital.

Face masks (sst.dk)

If you are infected with covid-19

If you feel ill, you are advised to stay at home until you recover, in order to avoid infecting others. If you have tested positive for covid-19 but do not feel ill, you do not need to stay at home.

The general advice from the Danish Health Authority is to stay at home if you feel ill.

If you are experiencing symptoms of an infectious disease, it is recommended that you stay at home until you have recovered. That way, you can avoid infecting others with covid-19 and other infectious diseases, such as influenza.

If you are elderly, pregnant or have a chronic disease, you may be eligible for early treatment.

Find out if you are eligible for early treatment

Symptoms of covid-19 include fever, dry cough, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, nausea, fatigue, stuffy or runny nose, and loss of taste and/or smell.

Covid-19 test, symptoms, and early treatment (sst.dk)

Covid-19 is transmitted in the same way as common colds or influenza, by transfer of the virus from the respiratory tract of an infected individual to another individual’s respiratory tract or mucous membranes, either directly or through physical contact. You are most infectious while experiencing symptoms, although it is possible to infect others even without experiencing symptoms.

Prevent infection (sst.dk)

Who should be tested for covid-19?

Testing is no longer recommended for the majority of the population. Public testing was closed on April 1, 2023.

However, the Danish Health Authority recommends testing if you are at risk of severe illness from covid-19 and in cases where a test result may have implications for possible treatment.

  • You have symptoms of covid-19 and feel ill. This applies if you are over the age of 65, or if you are otherwise at risk of serious illness related to covid-19. This also applies if you are pregnant. In such cases, you should use a self-test or contact your doctor.
  • You have consulted a doctor as a result of illness, and the doctor wants to investigate the cause of the symptoms.
  • In case you are unsure whether to get tested, or if you have any other concerns, you should consult your doctor.

Covid-19 test, symptoms, and early treatment (sst.dk)

PCR test

PCR is a highly sensitive testing method that detects the RNA of novel coronavirus. It is also able to detect if you are infected with a different strain of the virus. The test is performed by swabbing the throat, and provides the most reliable result. It is up to your doctor to decide whether you should receive a PCR test.

Rapid test, including self-test

A rapid test (also known as an antigen test, quick test, lateral flow test or self-test) is a chemical test used to detect viral proteins in a sample. The rapid test is less sensitive than the PCR test, which means that the result is less reliable. However, the result is ready after only about 15-30 minutes.

Are you in the target group for early treatment?

Are you infected with covid-19, have symptoms, and are at increased risk of severe illness?

In that case, you may be eligible for early treatment, which can reduce the risk of a severe course of covid-19.

It is up to your doctor to assess whether or not you are eligible for early treatment. Treatment should start as quickly as possible after developing symptoms, so it is important that you contact your doctor as soon as you receive a positive test.

If you meet these four criteria, you may be eligible for early treatment:

  1. Positive test for the novel coronavirus
    This can be a positive PCR test, a rapid test or a self-test.
  2. Significant symptoms of covid-19
    This includes fever, persistent cough and breathing difficulties.
  3. At increased risk of serious illness with covid-19 in one of the following groups:
    • Persons aged 80 years or older: Regardless of whether you are healthy or have a chronic disease
    • Persons aged 65-79 years: Many healthy individuals in this age group are not at increased risk, but if you have chronic diseases or mental and physical impairments, you may be at increased risk. Old age increases the risk of severe illness.
    • Persons under the age of 65: Very few are at increased risk, but individuals in this age group with certain chronic diseases, hard-to-control chronic diseases, obesity with a BMI of 35 or higher, and/or weakened immune systems are considered to be at increased risk.
    • Certain children and adolescents with chronic disease: The children and adolescents who may be at increased risk are typically those with severely weakened immune systems or other serious chronic conditions.
    • Residents of care homes
      Residents of care homes are at increased risk as they are often elderly and have chronic diseases, disabilities and fragile health.
    • Pregnant women
      Pregnant women are at increased risk for the sake of both the pregnant woman and the unborn child.
  4. Medical assessment
    Your doctor has decided that the treatment is safe for you.

Read more here:

Covid-19 test, symptoms, and early treatment (sst.dk)

If you need guidance, you can call contact tracing on 32 32 05 11.

People at increased risk

Certain elderly and vulnerable individuals may become so ill from covid-19 that they require hospitalization. It is still important, therefore, to protect the vulnerable.

Read more about who is at increased risk, treatment options, what to do, advice for relatives, etc.

People at increased risk

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Vaccination

Vaccination against covid-19 protects against serious illness and hospitalization. The Danish Health Authority recommends that you get vaccinated if you are at increased risk of a severe course of covid-19 or if you have not been vaccinated.

The Danish Health Authority expects to offer booster vaccination to selected groups again in the fall.

Read more about vaccination from the Danish Health Authority (sst.dk)

Read more about vaccines from the Danish Medicines Agency (laegemiddelstyrelsen.dk)

The covid-19 vaccination program for the fall and winter season of 2022/23 was concluded on March 1, 2023. However, vaccination may still be relevant for some people:

If you have not previously been vaccinated against covid-19, the Danish Health Authority still recommends that you get vaccinated. This applies to both the first and second shot as well as the first booster shot. This recommendation applies to everyone over the age of 18.

In very specific situations, it may still be possible to get an additional booster shot against covid-19 after March 1, 2023, if your doctor considers it necessary. This applies to a small number of people, such as those who have undergone organ or bone marrow transplantation.

The Danish Health Authority expects to offer booster vaccinations to selected groups again in the fall of 2023.

The booster vaccination program of this fall has been concluded. However, if you have not previously been vaccinated against covid-19, you can contact the regional authorities or talk to your doctor if you wish to get vaccinated. The regional authorities can tell you where to get vaccinated.

You can find more information (in Danish) on the regional authority websites.

Since November 15, 2022, citizens who are not offered free booster vaccination have had the option to purchase an updated booster vaccination. This can be done through general practitioners, pharmacies and private providers.

You can also ask your general practitioner if he or she offers covid-19 vaccination through co-payment.

The Ministry of Health does not have influence over the quality or organization of the vaccination services provided by private vaccination businesses. Therefore, the official list of providers does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation or approval by the authorities of these providers. It is simply a list of where vaccination can be obtained through the co-payment scheme.

For further information about specific vaccination offers, prices and more, please refer to the relevant providers.

Read the press release (in Danish): It is now possible to purchase a covid-19 vaccine (sum.dk)

Pharmacies offering the COVID-19 vaccine - in Danish (apovac.dk)

Copenhagen Medical (cphmed.com)

Danske Lægers Vaccinations Service - in Danish (sikkerrejse.dk)

Long-term effects

The majority of individuals who contract covid-19 recover without treatment and can return to their normal life, although it may take some time. However, some people may experience symptoms for a longer period of time.

Long-term effects, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), refer to cases in which at least one symptom, which cannot be explained by other diagnoses, persists for more than two months after a covid-19 infection.

  • Shortness of breath and cough
  • Chest pain, chest pressure and palpitations
  • Fatigue and fever
  • Cognitive problems, such as difficulties with concentration and memory, headaches, sleep disturbances, peripheral neuropathy (reduced or altered sensation), dizziness and delirium (confusion, more commonly seen among the elderly)
  • Abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, anorexia / loss of appetite (in the elderly)
  • Joint and muscle pain
  • Symptoms of depression and anxiety
  • Loss of taste or smell, tinnitus, ear pain, sore throat, dizziness
  • Skin rash

Long-term effects of covid-19 - in Danish (sst.dk)