Sometimes, people might need to stay home and away from others during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is known as isolation. Isolation is recommended when someone has symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive for coronavirus, with or without symptoms. Keeping your household ready can reduce stress in case your family needs to isolate.
Isolation means staying home when a person is infected with a contagious disease so they don’t spread it to others. It means staying away from family members and pets too. During the pandemic, people should isolate if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive for coronavirus (with or without symptoms). Even people who are fully vaccinated and boosted should isolate if they have symptoms or test positive.
Someone in isolation should:
Even if the person in isolation does not have symptoms, all members of the household should:
Other ways to lower the risk of spreading the virus:
For the latest updates, visit your local health department's website or the CDC's website.
The guidelines for how long to isolate may differ from country to country, or may change over time as the virus changes or there’s new information about how it spreads.
To get the most updated and relevant information for your family, call your doctor’s office, your child’s school district, or your local health department. The CDC can help you find the health department in your area.
Call your doctor if someone in quarantine or isolation has new symptoms or seems to be getting sicker.
Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date Reviewed: Aug 11, 2022