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Experts say most people are not contagious 10 days subsequently a positive COVID-19 examination. Getty Images
  • New guidelines from the CDC say people can leave isolation after having COVID-19 for 5 days if they wear a mask.
  • The guidelines as well say a person tin resume their regular routine 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19.
  • Experts say people are usually not contagious 10 days afterwards a positive COVID-19 test.
  • Experts add together that you should accept into consideration if people are vaccinated and if in that location are any individuals at high run a risk in your social circumvolve when making plans for a gathering.

It's a question being asked in homes across the U.s. and the rest of the world: When is it safe over again to be near someone who'south had COVID-19?

Similar other infectious diseases, recovery fourth dimension can vary from person to person. But experts recommend people follow the recently updated guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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

"Information technology's based on the information now solidly accumulated, that one sheds the most virus for the day or ii preceding illness, and then for the first couple, or possibly three, days of the affliction when you lot're nigh symptomatic," he added.

Under the guidelines, those who have presumed or confirmed COVID-nineteen must stay at domicile in isolation for five full days, with the day zero being the starting time day symptoms appeared or the twenty-four hours of a positive test for those without symptoms.

Post-obit the 5-twenty-four hours isolation period, they may leave their home but must wear a mask for an additional 5 days.

Experts say the change from 10 days isolation makes sense, given most people are no longer infectious with COVID-19 at ten days.

"The first day of infection if they're asymptomatic… there's a 60 percent transmission risk, whereas at 5 days, in that location's about a 10 to xx percent manual risk. So it decreases over time," said Dr. Dean Blumberg, the primary of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of California Davis.

"The ten days that the CDC was originally using was a relatively conservative estimate. And for the vast majority of people, they weren't infectious after x days," he added. "Shortening it to v days with the recommendation then to mask when you're around others later on that… that will mitigate risk of further transmission," he added.

Schaffner said the guidelines are reasonable, but also 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 likewise permit individuals wearing a mask to go back out into the world and appoint in normal action. It really depends on the person wearing the mask," he said.

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

Blumberg said people may need to arrange their plans to gather and socialize because of the Omicron variant.

"People need to re-evaluate their current activities during this time… specially with such an intense transmission. And, of grade, nosotros've all deferred so much for so many for so long that information technology'south hard to keep deferring. And then it'due south a difficult balancing act," he said.

Knowing the vaccination condition of visitors or friends and family, or request for everyone to take a rapid antigen test (RAT) may assistance you stay rubber during the Omicron surge.

"(RATs) tin can be quite useful for individuals who want that actress reassurance that they're not 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 fourth dimension when you're relatively high adventure for transmitting to others and fifty-fifty people with asymptomatic carriage may transmit," Blumberg said.

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

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

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

"Nosotros can collaborate with each other, being mindful. The big split is vaccination. I would not want to be within 10 feet of an unvaccinated person… Since we have people in our family who are at high run a risk, I don't want to be the vehicle of bringing home that virus to them. An individual's vaccination status is primal," he said.

Schaffner suggested establishing some basis rules before having a gathering. That may involve ensuring that simply those who are vaccinated attend or agreeing to habiliment masks.

"Establish the ground rules in a very prissy declarative fashion, and put information technology in the context of the current take a chance," he said.

"I'm quite straightforward. If yous're running some sort of group gathering of any kind, whether it's religious, business, or only recreational and family unit, I would not allow unvaccinated people to nourish," Schaffner added.