Self-isolating means staying in a separate space within your home and taking specific steps to avoid spreading a respiratory illness to the people around you. The current CDC guidance says you can return to normal activities once your symptoms are improving overall and you’ve been fever-free, without using fever-reducing medication, for at least 24 hours. Until you hit that milestone, the goal is to limit contact, improve airflow, and keep shared spaces clean.
Choose a Sick Room and Stay in It
Pick one room in your home as your dedicated space for the duration of your illness. Ideally, this is a bedroom with a door you can close and a window you can open. Keep the door shut as much as possible, and avoid spending time in common areas like the kitchen or living room. If you live alone, isolation is simpler since you’re mainly protecting anyone who might visit or deliver supplies.
If you share a home with others, designate one person as your point of contact for bringing food, medication, or anything else you need. That person should wear a mask when entering your room and limit their time inside to a few minutes.
Maximize Airflow in Your Space
Good ventilation is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce the concentration of virus particles in the air. Open a window in your room, even if only cracked slightly. If you have a fan, place it as close to the open window as possible and point it outward so it pushes contaminated air outside rather than recirculating it through the room. Never point a fan toward another person.
Run bathroom exhaust fans and kitchen range hood fans if they vent to the outside. Even exhaust fans that don’t vent outdoors still help by improving airflow and preventing virus particles from concentrating in one spot. Ceiling fans can also improve general circulation. Keep exhaust fans running for at least an hour after any interaction with a household member.
Handling a Shared Bathroom
A dedicated bathroom for the sick person is ideal, but plenty of households only have one. If you’re sharing, the key is minimizing overlap and cleaning surfaces every time you use the space. Wear a mask whenever you’re in the bathroom, removing it only when you’re brushing your teeth or showering. Try to use the bathroom during off-peak times when other household members aren’t likely to need it.
After each use:
- Close the toilet lid before flushing to limit aerosol spread.
- Wipe down high-touch surfaces like faucet handles, the toilet flush lever, light switches, and door handles with a disinfectant spray or wipe.
- Leave the exhaust fan running when you exit.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before leaving.
- Use a paper towel to dry your hands and to open the door on your way out.
If possible, let household members know when you’re using the bathroom unmasked (for showering or brushing teeth) so they can avoid entering at the same time.
Cleaning and Disinfecting Surfaces
Focus your cleaning on high-touch surfaces: door handles, light switches, countertops, remote controls, phone screens, and bathroom fixtures. Standard household disinfectant sprays and wipes work well, but the important detail most people miss is contact time. The surface needs to stay visibly wet for the full duration listed on the product label for the disinfectant to actually work. If the label says 10 minutes, the surface must remain wet for 10 minutes. If it dries before that, reapply the product. Some products work in as little as 10 to 30 seconds, while others require several minutes, so check the label.
Laundry, Trash, and Personal Items
Don’t share towels, drinking glasses, utensils, or bedding with anyone in the household. Dirty laundry from your sick room can go in a regular laundry bag or hamper. Wash it using your normal detergent and the warmest water setting the fabric allows, then dry it completely. The person handling dirty laundry should wear a mask and wash their hands immediately afterward.
For trash, use a lined bin in your sick room and tie the bag securely before someone removes it. A single sturdy, leak-resistant bag is sufficient. If the bag tears or gets contaminated on the outside, place it inside a second bag. Used tissues, masks, and other waste can go in your regular household trash once bagged and sealed.
Getting Food and Supplies
Use contactless delivery for groceries, meals, and medication whenever possible. Most delivery apps let you add a note requesting that items be left at your door. If someone in your household is preparing your meals, they should leave a tray outside your door and step back before you open it. Use disposable plates and utensils if you want to simplify cleanup, or have the sick person’s dishes washed separately with hot water and soap.
If contactless delivery isn’t available and you must interact with someone, both of you should wear masks and maintain at least six feet of distance.
When You Can Stop Isolating
There’s no fixed number of days anymore. The current guidance ties the end of isolation to how you actually feel. You can resume normal activities when both of the following have been true for at least 24 hours: your symptoms are improving overall, and you haven’t had a fever without the help of fever-reducing medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Even after you return to regular activities, it’s a good idea to continue wearing a mask around others and keeping your distance for a few more days. You may still be shedding some virus even after you feel better, so these extra precautions add a margin of safety for the people around you.
Warning Signs That Need Immediate Attention
Most people recover at home without complications, but some symptoms signal that your body needs more help than rest can provide. Difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, confusion, or an inability to stay awake are all reasons to call emergency services. If you have a pulse oximeter at home, a blood oxygen reading of 88% or lower means your body isn’t getting enough oxygen and you need medical help right away. A normal reading typically falls between 95% and 100%.
Lips or face turning bluish, inability to keep fluids down, or symptoms that seem to improve and then suddenly worsen are also signs to seek care promptly.