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If You Are a Close Contact to Someone With COVID-19
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You are considered a close contact if you have been 6 feet or less from a person with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection for a total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. For example, having three separate 5-minute exposures to someone over the course of a single day is considered a close contact.
Are You Susceptible to COVID-19?
Persons are considered susceptible to COVID-19 disease if they are not fully vaccinated or if they do not have evidence of recent COVID-19 infection. The following persons are considered susceptible:
- People who received two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna over 5 months ago and have not received a recommended booster shot when eligible.
- People who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine over 2 months ago and have not received a recommended booster shot when eligible.
- People who are not vaccinated AND do not have evidence of a COVID-19 infection in the last 90 days.
If You Had Close Contact AND You Are Considered Susceptible
If you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 and you are susceptible -- meaning you are not immune -- you should quarantine and stay away from others. You can infect others with COVID-19 even before you start to show symptoms and even if you never show symptoms.
How Long do You Need to Quarantine and What Should You do?
- Stay home and quarantine for at least 5 full days after your last close contact. The day of your last contact is Day 0 and the next day is Day 1. Wear a well-fitted mask that covers your mouth and nose if you must be around others in your home.
- Even if you don’t develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- After at least 5 full days of quarantine at home, you may leave your home. Wear a well-fitted mask that covers your mouth and nose when around others for an additional 5 days. If you cannot mask, continue quarantine at home for an additional 5 days.
- Watch for symptoms for 10 days after you last had close contact. If you develop symptoms, isolate immediately and get tested.
- Wear a well-fitted mask that covers your mouth and nose for 10 full days after you last had close contact any time you are around others inside your home or in public.
- For 10 full days after you last had close contact:
- Avoid any place where you are unable to wear a mask
- Avoid travel
- Avoid being around people who are at high risk of developing severe disease
- Use the CDC's Quarantine and Isolation Calculator linked on this page to help you determine your recommended quarantine period for non-household close contacts.
- A close household contact (someone in your household has COVID-19) should quarantine during the entirety of the person’s at home isolation period, which is a minimum of 5 days. Then, the household contact will continue their own period of quarantine for an additional 5 days, followed by 5 days of masking with a well-fitting mask when indoors and outdoors when around others. If unable to wear a mask, then the period of quarantine will be an additional 10 days. Learn more.
If You Are NOT Considered Susceptible
If you are considered immune, you do not need to quarantine at home unless you develop symptoms. You should:
- Get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- Watch for symptoms for 10 days after you last had close contact. If you develop symptoms, isolate immediately and get tested.
- Wear a well-fitted mask that covers your mouth and nose any time you are around others inside your home or in public for 10 full days after you last had close contact.
- For 10 full days after you last had close contact:
- Avoid any place where you are unable to wear a mask
- Avoid travel
- Avoid being around people who are at high risk of developing severe disease