Knowing the difference between quarantining and isolating can be confusing, but we're here to help.
Quarantine keeps a person away from others when he or she was in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
If you had close contact with a person who has COVID-19, you should:
- Stay home for 14 days from your last contact with that person
- Check your temperature twice a day and watch for symptoms of COVID-19
- Stay away from people who are at a higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19
Isolation keeps a person away from others–even in their own home–when he or she is sick or tested positive for COVID-19 and doesn't show symptoms.
If you are sick and know or think you have COVID-19, you should stay home until after:
- It's been 10 days from the first appearance of your symptoms, and
- It's been at least 24 hours from when you last had a fever without fever-reducing medication, and
- Your symptoms have improved
If you are not sick but tested positive for COVID-19, you should:
- Stay home until after 10 days have passed since your positive test
- Stay in a specific "sick room" or area away from other people or pets in your house, and use a separate bathroom if possible.
Source: cdc.gov/coronavirus
