CDC Amends Quarantine and Isolation Guidance
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Quarantine: If you are exposed to COVID-19 and are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations
Quarantine for at Least 5 days | After quarantine | Take precautions until day 10 |
Stay home Stay home and quarantine for at least 5 full days Wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home. Get tested Even if you don’t develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19 | Watch for symptoms Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19. If you develop symptoms Isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. Wear a well-fitted mask around others | Wear a mask Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days anytime you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not do to places where you are unable to wear a mask. Avoid travel Avoid being around people who are at high risk |
IF you were exposed to COVID-19 and are up to date with vaccination or had confirmed COVID-19 within the past 90 days (you tested positive using a viral test).
Watch for symptoms | Take precautions until day 10 | |
You do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms Get tested Even if you don’t develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19. | Watch for symptoms Watch for symptoms until 10 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19. If you develop symptoms Isolate immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. Wear a well-fitted mask around others. | Wear a mask Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days anytime you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not do to places where you are unable to wear a mask. Avoid travel Avoid being around people who are at high risk |
Definitions:
Close Contact/exposure: Contact with someone infected with the Sars-COV-2 virus-within 6 feet for 15 consecutive minutes or more when masks are not used by one, either, or both persons.
Up-to-date vaccination: You have received all COVID-19 vaccines (prime series and/or boost dose) recommended for your age/health history circumstances at the time of exposure.
Isolation: If you tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status.
Stay home for at least 5 days | Ending isolation if you had symptoms | Take precautions until day 10 |
Stay home for 5 days and isolate from others in your home. Wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home. | End isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medications) and your symptoms are improving. Ending isolation if you did NOT have symptoms End isolation after at least 5 full days after your positive test. If you develop symptoms after testing positive, your 5-day isolation period should start over. If you were severely ill with COVID-19 You should isolate for at least 10 days. You should consult your doctor before ending isolation. | Wear a mask Wear a well-fitted mask for 10 full days anytime you are around others inside your home or in public. Do not do to places where you are unable to wear a mask. Avoid travel Avoid being around people who are at high risk |
If you have access to a test and want to test before ending isolation, the best approach is to use an antigen test toward the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours and your other symptoms have improved. If your test is positive, you should isolate until day 10. If your test result is negative, you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10.
