Recommendations for people who test positive Day 0 is symptom onset date or positive test date. Avoid contact with people at higher-risk for severe COVID-19 for 10 days.
Stay home unless you need medical care. Don't go to work or school and avoid public places like stores. Stay away from others. In other words, if you live with other people try to keep your distance by staying in one room and using a separate bathroom if you are able.
Consider staying away from people at high risk of getting very sick until: 10 days have passed since your symptoms started, 10 days have passed since you tested positive (if you never developed symptoms), or. You test negative for COVID-19 with an antigen test (such as an at-home test)
If you or your child have tested positive for COVID-19: try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day the test was taken if you or your child are under 18 years old – children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.
Taking Care of Yourself at Home Contact your healthcare provider. Tell them you tested positive for COVID-19 and are home recovering. Take it easy. Rest up and stay hydrated. Monitor your symptoms. Report worsening symptoms to your healthcare provider.
Updated Guidance: The updated Respiratory Virus Guidance recommends that people stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both their symptoms are getting better overall, and they have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
“In the early days of the pandemic, it was recommended to isolate for 10 days after having a positive COVID test. And then a few years ago, the CDC changed its recommendation: you could come out of isolation five days after receiving a positive test and wear a mask for the additional five days.”
After I recover, when can I visit a higher risk person or place? If you test positive, Public Health recommends waiting at least 7 days from when symptoms began or from the date of the positive test (if no symptoms) to visit someone who lives in a higher risk setting or is at higher risk for severe disease.
As noted above, those who test positive should mask indoors when around others during the full 10 days following symptom onset date (or positive test date if no symptoms). However, confirmed cases may remove their mask sooner than 10 full days after two sequential negative antigen tests at least one day apart.
If you test positive, you are strongly encouraged to isolate (stay home and away from other people) for at least 5 full days, to prevent spreading the disease to others. Isolation is recommended even if you have been vaccinated or have had COVID-19 before.