TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Do individuals who test negative for COVID-19 still need to quarantine following the test?

WTVA reporter Chelsea Brown spoke with Jenny Barnes, a nurse practitioner in Tupelo.

"Just because you are around somebody that has it, does not mean you are going to get it," she said.

She said exposure to someone who has the virus can lead to a positive diagnosis, but that doesn’t mean the second individual will become infected.

Barnes recommends individuals get tested once symptoms appear.

"We see people almost every day that tested negative and come back and now they are positive."

According to the CDC, if you test negative, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. The test result only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing. Continue to take steps to protect yourself.

"It is possible that you were very early in your infection when your sample was collected and that you could test positive later," the CDC says.

Anyone who tests positive must quarantine.

"They are supposed to quarantine for 10 days from the day of sickness."

If symptoms are more severe, the CDC recommends quarantining for 14 days.

"If you ask for a sendoff PCR test, guidelines say you should stay at home until you get the results."