As research on the novel coronavirus grows, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been revisiting its information on how to navigate symptoms, treatment, and recovery during the pandemic. On July 22, the agency updated its guidelines on when it’s safe for a person to end isolation after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

And there’s a huge change: The CDC previously recommended that a patient try to be tested again after their symptoms improved, but the organization now says that re-testing is no longer needed.

The CDC previously stated that it was considered safe for people with COVID-19 to be around others was after they had two negative diagnostic tests for the virus taken 24 hours apart. People were also advised to stay away from others until 14 days had passed since they developed symptoms, provided they no longer had a fever without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Now, the recommendations state that people can leave isolation after having COVID-19 when they meet all of the following criteria:

  • It’s been 10 days after your symptoms started.
  • You haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
  • Your symptoms have improved.

If you never had symptoms but tested positive for the virus, the CDC says you can end isolation 10 days after you tested positive for the virus.

There is a caveat, though: A “limited” group of people who have a severe form of COVID-19 may need to be isolated for up to 20 days after their symptoms started. People who have weakened immune systems may still need to follow a testing-based approach as they are considered high-risk. This can be determined with the help of a doctor.

Why have the COVID-19 isolation guidelines changed?

COVID-19 is caused by a new virus and scientists are learning more about it all the time, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “We now have good scientific data that says that, after a period of about 10 days, people are not a contagious risk to others,” he explains.

Plus, testing someone to clear them of isolation has become tricky on several levels, says William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

For example, some people may continue to get a positive test result, even though they’re no longer infectious. “The test can detect fragments of the virus, but the complete virus—which is what can infect people—is not there anymore,” he says. “Continuing positive results can lead to confusion.”

With national testing shortages and longer wait times for results, the new guidelines can also help people to get back to life sooner, Dr. Schaffner says.

For what it’s worth, Dr. Adalja explains that many medical providers haven’t been testing patients again after they’ve had a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 for these reasons. “Most people stopped doing this a while ago,” he says.

What should you do if you have lingering COVID-19 symptoms?

It’s not uncommon for someone to have a lasting cough or difficulty breathing beyond 10 days after they first developed symptoms of COVID-19, Dr. Adalja says. In those situations, it’s still considered OK to leave isolation, as long as you don’t have a fever and your symptoms have improved overall, he says. A face mask should always be worn in public and around those who are not in your household when social distancing (staying six feet apart) is not possible.

If you’ve had a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, you’re starting to feel better, and you have questions about when it’s OK to go out again, it never hurts to get your doctor’s opinion on what you should do moving forward. They will be able to offer the next best steps depending on your personal circumstances.


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Headshot of Korin Miller
Korin Miller
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.