Also: Covid, Covid-19, colds, flu
For the safety of your family, this information is intended for use by North Seattle Pediatrics patients exclusively.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may end isolation after 7 days have passed since your symptoms started (or since you tested positive, if you don’t have symptoms) so long as both of the following have been true for at least 24 hours:
When you leave isolation, wear a mask and take added precautions through 10 days after your symptoms started (or after you tested positive, if you never developed symptoms), such as taking steps to improve air flow and filtration, practicing good hand hygiene, cleaning regularly, and physical distancing.
You can use antigen testing to determine if you can remove your mask and end isolation early. If you test negative with an antigen test on or after day 5, you may leave isolation and stop wearing a mask. Test no sooner than day 5, and only start testing if you are fever free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved.
If you have symptoms, day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed. If you have not had any symptoms, day 0 is the date you were tested. Day 1 is the first full day after the specimen was collected for your positive test.
There may be times when it is necessary to shorten or lengthen the isolation period due to situations in the facility. During periods of critical staffing shortages, homeless shelters and correctional facilities may consider shortening the isolation period for staff to ensure continuity of operations. If there is an outbreak, it may be necessary to isolate for longer than you would otherwise to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Decisions to change isolation in these settings should be made in consultation with the local health jurisdiction.
If you have respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause (such as allergies) and do not test positive for COVID-19, you should isolate away from others. You can leave isolation when both of the following have been true for at least 24 hours:
When you leave isolation, wear a mask and take added precautions over the next 5 days, such as taking steps to improve air flow and filtration, practicing good hand hygiene, cleaning regularly, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors.