Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19

If you have COVID-19, you can spread the virus to others. There are precautions you can take to prevent spreading it to others: isolation, masking, and avoiding contact with people who are at high risk of getting very sick. Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-19.

These recommendations do not change based on COVID-19 hospital admission levels. If you have COVID-19, also see additional information on treatments that may be available to you.

This information is intended for a general audience. Healthcare professionals should see Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19. This CDC guidance is meant to supplement—not replace—any federal, state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations.

Regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you have COVID-19.

You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results. If your results are positive, follow the full isolation recommendations below. If your results are negative, you can end your isolation.

When you have COVID-19, isolation is counted in days, as follows:

If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home.

You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days.

• Wear a high-quality mask if you must be around others at home and in public.
• Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask. For travel guidance, see CDC’s Travel webpage.
• Do not travel.
• Stay home and separate from others as much as possible.
• Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
• Take steps to improve ventilation at home, if possible.
• Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
• Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
• Learn more about what to do if you have COVID-19.

End isolation based on how serious your COVID-19 symptoms were. Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation.

If you had no symptoms

You may end isolation after day 5.

If you had symptoms and:

If you had symptoms and had:

Regardless of when you end isolation

Until at least day 11:

• Avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.
• Remember to wear a high-quality mask when indoors around others at home and in public.
• Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask until you are able to discontinue masking (see below).
• For travel guidance, see CDC’s Travel webpage.

After you have ended isolation, when you are feeling better (no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms improving),

• Wear your mask through day 10.

OR

• If you have access to antigen tests, you should consider using them. With two sequential negative tests 48 hours apart, you may remove your mask sooner than day 10.

Note: If your antigen test results¹ are positive, you may still be infectious. You should continue wearing a mask and wait at least 48 hours before taking another test. Continue taking antigen tests at least 48 hours apart until you have two sequential negative results. This may mean you need to continue wearing a mask and testing beyond day 10.

^[1] As noted in the Food and Drug Administration labeling for authorized over-the-counter antigen tests, negative test results do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or patient management decisions, including infection control decisions.