On January 9, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
issued updated
COVID-19 isolation recommendations. As outlined in the
updated guidance, CDPH recommends the following actions to align
with common practice of other respiratory viruses:
CDPH Recommendations for people who test positive.
Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms,
until you have not had a fever for 24 hours without using fever
reducing medication AND other COVID-19
symptoms are mild and improving. If you do
not have symptoms, you should follow the recommendations
below to reduce exposure to others.
Mask when you are around other people
indoors for the 10 days after you become sick or test positive
(if no symptoms). You may remove your mask sooner
than 10 days if you have two sequential negative tests at
least one day apart. Day 0 is symptom onset date or
positive test date.
Avoid contact with people at higher-risk for
severe COVID-19 for 10
days*. Higher-risk individuals include the
elderly, those who live in congregate care facilities, those
who have immunocompromising conditions, and that put
them at higher risk for serious illness.
Seek Treatment. If you have
symptoms, particularly if you are at higher
risk for severe COVID-19, speak with a healthcare provider
as soon as you test positive. You may be eligible
for antiviral
medicines or other treatments for COVID-19. COVID-19
antiviral medicines work best if taken as soon as possible, and
within 5-7 days from when symptoms start.
*The potential infectious period is 2 days before the date of
symptoms began or the positive test date (if no symptoms) through
Day 10. (Day 0 is the symptom onset date or positive test
date).
If you do not have symptoms, and are
at higher
risk of severe COVID-19 infection and would benefit
from treatment, you should test within 5 days.
If you do not have symptoms and have
contact with people who are at higher risk for severe
infection, you should mask indoors when around such
people for 10 days. Consider testing within 5 days
after the last exposure date (Day 0) and before contact with
higher-risk people. For further details, see CDPH
COVID-19 testing guidance.
