How long should I stay on quarantine after a positive coronavirus disease test?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 23, 2026
What should I do if I have a positive COVID-19 test?
If you have a positive COVID-19 test result, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days after the day you took your test.
How long should care home residents isolate after testing positive for COVID-19?
Residents who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate for 10 days and take part in daily lateral flow testing from day 5. They can end self-isolation after receiving 2 consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart, or after 10 days' isolation.
What should I do if I am diagnosed with COVID-19?
Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. If you have a positive COVID-19 test result, it is very likely that you have COVID-19 even if you do not have any symptoms. You can pass on the infection to others, even if you have no symptoms.
Can people with mild COVID-19 symptoms recover at home?
People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should manage their symptoms at home. On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.
Can you get COVID-19 more than once?
Yes, it is possible to get Covid-19 two, three or even more times. As new variants have emerged, and immunity from previous infection and immunisation has reduced over time, reinfection with Covid-19 has become increasingly common.
24 related questions foundCan you still catch COVID-19 after having the booster vaccine?
Can you still catch COVID-19 after having the vaccine? The COVID-19 vaccination will reduce the chance of you suffering from COVID-19. It may take a few days for your body to build up some protection from the booster.
Can you still get Covid after vaccine?
Like all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective, so you should continue to take recommended precautions to avoid infection. Some people may still get COVID-19 despite having a vaccination, but this should be less severe.
What is the new guidance for people with suspected COVID-19 symptoms?
From 1 April, updated guidance will advise people with symptoms of a respiratory infection, including COVID-19, and a high temperature or who feel unwell, to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and they no longer have a high temperature.
Can you take ibuprofen if you have the coronavirus disease?
Patients can take paracetamol or ibuprofen when self-medicating for symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever and headache, and should follow NHS advice if they have any questions or if symptoms get worse.
What are the organs most affected by COVID‐19?
The lungs are the organs most affected by COVID‐19
Is it safe to live in the same house as someone with COVID-19?
People who live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 are at the highest risk of becoming infected because they are most likely to have prolonged close contact. People who stayed overnight in the household of someone with COVID-19 while they were infectious are also at high risk.
In what conditions does COVID-19 survive the longest?
Coronaviruses die very quickly when exposed to the UV light in sunlight. Like other enveloped viruses, SARS-CoV-2 survives longest when the temperature is at room temperature or lower, and when the relative humidity is low (<50%).
How long can you not eat or drink before a COVID-19 test?
Do not eat or drink for at least 30 minutes before doing your test to reduce the risk of spoiling the test.
What should be done in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak in a care home?
If a care home has an outbreak, this has impacts on visiting. In the event of an outbreak in a care home, the home should stop indoor visiting (except in exceptional circumstances such as end of life). All movements out of a setting should be minimised as far as possible.
Can I develop immunity to COVID-19 after testing positive for PCR?
If you have previously tested positive for COVID-19, you will probably have developed some immunity to the disease. However, it cannot be guaranteed that everyone will develop immunity, or how long it will last. It is possible for PCR tests to remain positive for some time after COVID-19 infection.
How long do you usually have to self-isolate if you are unvaccinated and test positive for COVID-19 in France?
If youre unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and you havent had COVID-19 in the last 4 months, you must self-isolate for 10 days from the day on which you first develop symptoms, or 10 days from the date of the positive test result.
What are some of the most common symptoms of the COVID-19 Delta variant?
Cough, fatigue, headache and loss of taste and/or smell continue to be the most commonly reported symptoms in those testing positive.
How do I know if I have COVID-19 or flu?
It is not possible to tell if you have COVID-19, flu or another respiratory infection based on symptoms alone. Most people with COVID-19 and other respiratory infections will have a relatively mild illness, especially if they have been vaccinated.
What are some of the symptoms of COVID-19?
Most common symptoms:
fever
cough
tiredness
loss of taste or smell.
Less common symptoms:
sore throat
headache
aches and pains
diarrhoea
a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes
red or irritated eyes.
Is temperature check a reliable way to detect coronavirus disease?
There is little scientific evidence to support temperature screening as a reliable method for detection of COVID-19 or other febrile illness, especially if used as the main method of testing.
Temperature readings from temperature screening systems will measure skin temperature rather than core body temperature. In either case, natural fluctuations in temperature can occur among healthy individuals. These readings are therefore an unreliable measure for detection of COVID-19 or other diseases which may cause fever. Furthermore, infected people who do not develop a fever or who do not show any symptoms would not be detected by a temperature reading and could be more likely to unknowingly spread the virus.
What is the difference between people who have asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic COVID-19?
Both terms refer to people who do not have symptoms. The difference is that ‘asymptomatic’ refers to people who are infected but never develop any symptoms, while ‘pre-symptomatic’ refers to infected people who have not yet developed symptoms but go on to develop symptoms later.
Who is eligible for statutory sick pay during the COVID-19 pandemic?
People will no longer be deemed eligible for SSP where they are self-isolating but may only have very mild or no symptoms and would therefore otherwise be considered capable of work. The consequence of this repeal is that individuals will have to be sick or incapable of work to be eligible for SSP .
How long after having COVID-19 can I get the spring booster vaccine?
If you are unwell, wait until you have recovered to have your vaccine. If you have had confirmed COVID-19 you should ideally wait 4 weeks before having your spring booster.
How do we achieve herd immunity against COVID-19?
To safely achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, a substantial proportion of a population would need to be vaccinated, lowering the overall amount of virus able to spread in the whole population.
What should I do if I have COVID-19 vaccine side effects?
Most side effects are mild or moderate and go away within a few days of appearing. If side effects such as pain and/or fever are troublesome, they can be treated by medicines for pain and fever such as paracetamol.