With COVID cases and other respiratory viruses on the rise, you might know someone who has recently tested positive or wondered how long a person is contagious.
The answer depends on several factors.
As of Friday, 44 counties in Illinois were at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. In all, 39 counties were at a medium level and five were under the “high” alert as the state saw a 20% increase in hospitalizations within the last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So how long could you spread the virus if you test positive?
The CDC’s guidelines for isolating have not changed since May.
Regardless of vaccination status, those who test positive should isolate from others for at least five days and isolate from others in your home, the CDC reports. You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results, the guidelines state.
To calculate the number of days you should isolate, the CDC has a guide:
If you had no symptoms:
- Day 0 is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result)
- Day 1 is the first full day following the day you were tested
- If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset
If you had symptoms:
- Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive
- Day 1 is the first full day after the day your symptoms started
If you had no symptoms, you can end your isolation after day five, but for those who experience symptoms, that line might be different, the CDC notes.