CDC Recommendations for People with COVID-19 and COVID-19 Close Contacts

Recommendations for People with COVID-19

Have you tested positive for COVID-19 or have mild symptoms and are waiting for test results?

Here’s What To Do:

Isolate. Stay at home for at least 5 days.*

To keep others safe in your home, wear a mask, stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom if you can.

Do not travel for 10 days.

If you can’t wear a mask, stay home and away from other people for 10 days.

To calculate the recommended time frames, day 0 is the day you were tested if you don’t have symptoms, or the date your symptoms started.

Contact your healthcare provider to discuss your test results and available treatment options. Watch for symptoms, especially fever. If you have an emergency warning sign, such as trouble breathing or persistent chest pain or pressure, seek emergency medical care immediately.

Day 6: Do a self-check. How are you feeling?

You could have loss of taste or smell for weeks or months after you feel better. These symptoms should not delay the end of isolation.

No symptoms or symptoms improving.

No fever without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours: You can leave isolation. Keep wearing a mask around other people at home and in public for 5 more days (days 6-10).

Symptoms not improving and/or still have fever: Continue to stay home until 24 hours after your fever stops without using fever-reducing medication and your symptoms have improved.

After you feel completely better, keep wearing a mask around other people at home and in public through day 10.

*If you are moderately or severely illexternal icon (including being hospitalized or requiring intensive care or ventilation support) or immunocompromised, please talk to your healthcare provider about when you can end isolation. Please refer to COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation for guidance on isolation in healthcare settings and high risk congregate settings (such as correctional and detention facilities, homeless shelters, or cruise ships).

Recommendations for COVID-19 Close Contacts

Have you been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19? You were a close contact if you were less than 6 feet away from someone with COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (excluding K-12 settings).

Here’s What To Do:

Protect Others

Take these steps to keep others safe.

Quarantine if you are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines or didn’t have COVID-19 in the past 90 days. Stay home and away from other people for at least 5 days. If you are up to date or had COVID-19 in the past 90 days you do not have to quarantine.

Avoid travel through day 10.

Wear a mask around other people for 10 days.

Watch for symptoms of COVID-19 for 10 days.

Up to date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible.

Get Tested

Get a COVID-19 test on or after day 5 or if you have symptoms.

People who had COVID-19 in the past 90 days should only get tested if they develop symptoms.

You tested negative. You can leave your home.

Keep wearing a mask in public and when traveling through day 10.

You tested positive or have symptoms.

Isolate away from other people. Stay home for at least 5 days and follow steps for isolation.
Do not travel for 10 days.

If you are unable to get tested, you can leave your home after day 5 if you have not had symptoms. Keep wearing a mask in public and avoid travel through day 10.

To calculate the recommended time frames, day 0 is the date you last had close contact to someone with COVID-19.

If you can’t wear a mask, stay home (quarantine) and away from other people, and do not travel for 10 days.

Please refer to COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation for guidance on quarantine in healthcare settings and high risk congregate settings (such as correctional and detention facilities, homeless shelters, or cruise ships).