Current guidance for managing COVID-19 infection and exposure has shifted from strict blanket rules to a nuanced, symptom-based approach. Public health authorities, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), now focus on individual health status and symptom improvement rather than a fixed time frame for staying home. Understanding these recommendations for staying home when sick and taking precautions when exposed is important for limiting community spread. The primary goal remains reducing the risk of transmission, especially to people who are more likely to experience severe illness.
Isolation Guidelines: When You Test Positive
For individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or begin experiencing respiratory virus symptoms, current guidance requires a period of staying home. This period lasts until at least 24 hours have passed since the person last had a fever, achieved without the use of fever-reducing medications. Additionally, the individual’s other symptoms must be improving overall before they can return to normal activities.
This symptom-based approach replaces the previous fixed five-day isolation requirement for most people. The change acknowledges that people stop being infectious at different times and aligns the COVID-19 response with that of other common seasonal viruses. While staying home, the individual should remain separated from others in the household as much as possible to prevent further transmission.
The infectious period typically peaks one to two days before symptoms begin and for two to three days afterward. If symptoms worsen or return after the initial period of staying home, the person should restart the process, staying away from others until they again meet the criteria for release.
Quarantine Guidelines: When You Are Exposed
Current guidance largely replaces the term “quarantine” with a recommendation for monitoring and taking precautions after exposure to someone with COVID-19. If you have been in close contact with an infected person, you do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms or test positive.
The primary recommendation is to wear a high-quality mask or respirator, such as an N95, any time you are around others for a full 10 days following your last date of exposure. You should also watch carefully for symptoms of illness during this time, such as fever, cough, or fatigue.
Testing is an important component of exposure management. It is recommended to test for COVID-19 at least five full days after your last exposure, even if you are not feeling sick. If that test is negative, continue masking precautions through the full 10-day period.
Meeting the Criteria to End Isolation or Quarantine
The criteria for safely ending the period of isolation after a positive test are based entirely on clinical improvement.
Ending Isolation
To exit isolation, you must meet the criteria established in the previous section: 24 hours without fever (without medication) and noticeably improving respiratory symptoms.
Ending Monitoring After Exposure
For exposure, the monitoring period ends after the 10-day post-exposure period, provided you have not developed symptoms. If you develop symptoms at any point, you must immediately isolate and follow the criteria for a positive case, regardless of the test result.
Precautions Following Release
Once the isolation period is complete and the symptom-based criteria are met, the individual should take heightened precautions for the next five days. This transitional period begins immediately upon returning to normal activities to ensure they do not infect others.
The most important precaution is the continued use of a well-fitting, high-quality mask when around other people, especially in indoor settings. Limiting close contact with others and avoiding situations where a mask cannot be worn, such as dining in restaurants, is also advisable. These extra steps help mitigate the risk of transmission to those at high risk for severe outcomes.