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Experts say most people are not contagious 10 days after a positive COVID-19 exam. Getty Images
  • New guidelines from the CDC say people can get out isolation after having COVID-nineteen for five days if they habiliment a mask.
  • The guidelines also say a person can resume their regular routine 10 days afterwards testing positive for COVID-nineteen.
  • Experts say people are ordinarily not contagious 10 days after a positive COVID-xix test.
  • Experts add that you should have into consideration if people are vaccinated and if in that location are whatsoever individuals at high risk in your social circumvolve when making plans for a gathering.

Information technology's a question being asked in homes across the Us and the residue of the world: When is it safe again to exist most someone who's had COVID-19?

Like other infectious diseases, recovery time can vary from person to person. Simply experts recommend people follow the recently updated guidelines issued by the Centers for Illness Control and Prevention (CDC).

"According to the recent revision of the CDC guidelines, if someone has had COVID-19, they can, afterwards 5 days, come out of isolation and put on a mask," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, told Healthline.

"It'due south based on the data now solidly accumulated, that 1 sheds the most virus for the mean solar day or two preceding illness, and and so for the first couple, or perhaps three, days of the affliction when you're nearly symptomatic," he added.

Under the guidelines, those who have presumed or confirmed COVID-19 must stay at home in isolation for 5 full days, with the day null existence the first solar day symptoms appeared or the day of a positive test for those without symptoms.

Following the 5-mean solar day isolation period, they may get out their home but must wear a mask for an boosted 5 days.

Experts say the change from 10 days isolation makes sense, given most people are no longer infectious with COVID-xix at x days.

"The first twenty-four hours of infection if they're asymptomatic… there'south a lx percent transmission run a risk, whereas at 5 days, there's about a ten to twenty percent transmission run a risk. So it decreases over time," said Dr. Dean Blumberg, the chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of California Davis.

"The 10 days that the CDC was originally using was a relatively conservative estimate. And for the vast bulk of people, they weren't infectious after 10 days," he added. "Shortening it to 5 days with the recommendation then to mask when yous're effectually others after that… that will mitigate risk of further transmission," he added.

Schaffner said the guidelines are reasonable, but too rely on people doing the right thing and wearing a mask.

"The CDC guidelines in this regard are pretty solid. They reduce the risk very substantially of transmission, and too allow individuals wearing a mask to become back out into the world and engage in normal activity. It really depends on the person wearing the mask," he said.

"Now, if you lot were in the circumstance where you were trying to protect one or more people who had extraordinarily high risk of serious illness — older [adults], people with diabetes, lung disease, people who are immunocompromised — y'all might… want to be more cautious than that," Schaffner added.

Blumberg said people may need to adjust their plans to assemble and socialize considering of the Omicron variant.

"People need to re-evaluate their current activities during this time… especially with such an intense transmission. And, of grade, we've all deferred so much for and then many for and then long that information technology's hard to continue deferring. And so it's a hard balancing human activity," he said.

Knowing the vaccination status of visitors or friends and family, or asking for everyone to have a rapid antigen examination (RAT) may help y'all stay prophylactic during the Omicron surge.

"(RATs) tin can be quite useful for individuals who desire that extra reassurance that they're non infectious to others. When you're gathering together, when you're not going to be masked because you're eating or drinking, that is a time when y'all're relatively high risk for transmitting to others and fifty-fifty people with asymptomatic wagon may transmit," Blumberg said.

The CDC advises that, when planning social events, information technology's best to consider coming together outdoors or in well ventilated spaces. Staying 6 anxiety apart and wearing masks also help to avoid transmission.

While masks are not generally required outdoors, the CDC says people should consider wearing them in areas with high levels of COVID-19, in crowded outdoors situations, or in situations that involve shut contact with people who haven't been fully vaccinated.

Schaffner said the arroyo with social interactions varies based on whether those involved have been vaccinated or not.

"We can interact with each other, being mindful. The big dissever is vaccination. I would non want to be within x feet of an unvaccinated person… Since we take people in our family who are at loftier gamble, I don't want to be the vehicle of bringing abode that virus to them. An individual's vaccination condition is fundamental," he said.

Schaffner suggested establishing some footing rules earlier having a gathering. That may involve ensuring that only those who are vaccinated attend or like-minded to vesture masks.

"Constitute the basis rules in a very nice declarative manner, and put it in the context of the electric current hazard," he said.

"I'yard quite straightforward. If you lot're running some sort of group gathering of whatsoever kind, whether it's religious, business organization, or simply recreational and family, I would not let unvaccinated people to attend," Schaffner added.