Question: My husband and I own a small business and our only other full-time employee just came down with COVID. We both meet the criteria of “exposed.” How long do we need to self-quarantine?
Answer: I’m sorry. That sounds so stressful. In a bit of slightly good news, CDC just changed the self-quarantine guidelines earlier this week, making them less onerous than the “gold standard” 14 days. For ease of reference, I’ve pasted key portions of the updated guidance herein (Table 1). Basically, to reduce the duration of self-quarantine and as long as you have no symptoms, get tested on Day 5 after exposure; after receiving a negative test result, leave quarantine on Day 7 after exposure.
I’m being more specific here about testing time (within 48 hours of quarantine end) because I want to align with data from CDC’s scientific brief that drove the change in guidelines, Options to Reduce Quarantine for Contacts of Persons with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using Symptom Monitoring and Diagnostic Testing. As Figure 1 from the brief shows, incorporating PCR testing within 48 hour before self-quarantine ends more than halves the transmission risk at Day 7. Specifically, transmission risk at Day 7 is:
- without testing: 10.7% (range: 10.3-22.1)
- with PCR testing: 4.0% (range: 2.3-8.6)
- with antigen testing: 5.5% (range: 3.1-11.9)
Table 1. CDC’s Updated Self-Quarantine Guidance (from CDC)
Based on local availability of viral testing, for people without symptoms quarantine can end:
- On day 10 without testing
- On day 7 after receiving a negative test result
After stopping quarantine, people should:
- Watch for symptoms until 14 days after exposure.
- If they have symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact their local public health authority or healthcare provider.
- Wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet from others, wash their hands, avoid crowds, and take other steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Figure 1. Transmission Risk based on length of quarantine and use of testing. (from CDC)
