CDC RELEASES COVID-19 QUARANTINE AND ISOLATION CALCULATOR

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Patricia Tsipras

April 1, 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Calculator.

For whom is the tool designed and what it is designed to do?
The tool is designed to assist people who have COVID-19 or people who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19.  People with COVID-19 who have mild or no symptoms can use the tool to determine how long they need to stay home and away from other people (isolate).  Close contacts can use the tool to determine if they need to stay home (quarantine) or take other steps to prevent the spread of the virus, like getting testing or wearing a well-fitting mask.

What is a close contact?
A close contact is someone who was less than six feet from someone with COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

For whom is the tool NOT designed?
The tool is not designed for people who are moderately ill (experiencing symptoms that affect the lungs, like shortness of breath or difficulty breathing), severely ill (requiring hospitalization, intensive care, or ventilation support), or immunocompromised).  Such people should speak to a health care provider about when to end isolation.

The tool also is not designed to address isolation and quarantine in high-risk congregate settings or healthcare settings.  Instead, consult COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation.

Furthermore parents and caregivers with children in childcare programs or K-12 schools should consult their program or school administrator for specific isolation and quarantine guidance.

What do you need to use the tool?
People with COVID-19 who do not have symptoms need to know the date that they were tested for COVID-19.

People with COVID-19 who have symptoms need to know the date their symptoms began.

Close contacts need to know the date that they last came into close contact with someone with COVID-19.