What is the recommended quarantine duration after contracting Covid-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019)?

COVID-19 Isolation Duration After Infection

For most people with COVID-19, isolation can end after 10 days from symptom onset, provided they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medications and other symptoms have improved. 1, 2

Standard Isolation Criteria

The recommended isolation period follows a symptom-based approach rather than requiring negative testing:

• Minimum 10 days from symptom onset (or from positive test date if asymptomatic) 1
• Fever resolution for at least 24 hours without antipyretics 1, 2
• Improvement in respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) 1
• Patients are unlikely to be infectious after meeting these criteria 1, 2

Research supports this timeframe, showing that 86% of household contacts who became infected tested positive within 10 days of the index patient's illness onset 3.

Shortened Isolation Options (5-Day Approach)

More recent guidance allows for a 5-day isolation period with specific conditions:

• Isolation may end after 5 days if the person is fever-free for 24 hours without medications and symptoms are improving 4
• After ending 5-day isolation, individuals should continue wearing a well-fitting mask around others through day 10 5
• This shortened approach balances reduced burden with acceptable transmission risk 6

Important caveat: Studies show that 54% of people still tested positive on rapid antigen tests after 5-9 days of isolation, with declining positivity over time 5. The 5-day approach carries higher transmission risk than 10-day isolation.

Special Populations Requiring Extended Isolation

Severe COVID-19 or immunosuppressed patients require individualized assessment and may need isolation beyond 10 days 1, 2:

• Viral shedding continues beyond 10 days in severe cases 2
• Case-by-case determination is necessary for those on immunosuppressive medications 1
• Healthcare workers and high-risk settings may require negative testing before return to work 2

Test-Based Strategy (When Required)

If testing is necessary to end isolation, the following criteria must be met 1:

• All clinical criteria above (fever resolution, symptom improvement, minimum time period)
• Plus two consecutive negative PCR or NAAT tests collected at least 24 hours apart 1

However, testing is not routinely recommended for ending isolation in most cases—the symptom-based approach is preferred 4.

Quarantine for Exposed Contacts (Not Infected)

This is distinct from isolation for infected individuals:

• Close contacts should quarantine for 14 days after last exposure to someone with COVID-19 1
• Shortened quarantine options exist: 10 days without testing, or 7 days with a negative test 3
• Among asymptomatic contacts with negative tests at day 7, there is an 81% chance of remaining negative through day 14; this increases to 93% for those negative at day 10 3

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Do not count isolation days from test date if symptoms began earlier—always count from symptom onset 4
• Do not require negative tests for routine isolation discontinuation—this is not standard guidance and can unnecessarily prolong isolation 4
• Do not delay return for isolated loss of smell or taste, as these symptoms may persist for weeks without indicating ongoing infectiousness 4
• Do not assume 5-day isolation is equivalent to 10-day isolation—it carries higher transmission risk and requires continued masking 5