What happens after I have been released from self-isolation?

You can leave isolation after 7 full days if you have:

no more symptoms, or
only a mild, dry cough.

If you still have symptoms after 7 days, stay home until your symptoms are gone or seek medical care if you are not sure.

You do not need a negative test to end isolation. People who get COVID-19 can continue to test positive for some time after they have recovered, even though they no longer have COVID-19 and are no longer infectious.

If others in your household tested positive while you were in isolation, you can still leave isolation after 7 days, but they must continue to isolate.

You can go to work or school or return to your normal activities.

You don’t need a negative test result to go back to work or study. There is no need to show a negative test to your employer or educational institution.

When you leave home, you must wear a face mask at all times, including:

indoors
outdoors when you can’t stay physically distanced from others.

While children under 12 years of age don’t have to wear a face mask, they are encouraged to where it is safe to do so. Face masks, including surgical masks, are not considered safe for children under two years of age.

Do not visit these vulnerable or high-risk settings unless you work there, live there, or are getting medical care:

an aged care facility
a disability care setting
a correctional facility like a prison
a healthcare facility like a GP or a hospital.

If you are allowed to visit an aged care facility or a hospital for an end of life visit, contact them beforehand.

You are unlikely to get COVID-19 again in the 12 weeks after completing isolation. You are considered a “cleared case” for 12 weeks after your isolation ends.

During this time, if you get symptoms, you do not need to get tested but you should stay at home until you feel better. This is important to help you to recover and prevent the spread of any other viruses in the community. You do not need testing unless advised to do so by your medical practitioner.

If you are immunocompromised and get COVID-19 symptoms in the 12 weeks after ending isolation, seek medical advice, as COVID-19 reinfection may be more likely for you.

Even if you’ve had COVID-19, you should get vaccinated. You are far less likely to get really sick if you get COVID-19 again. After you have recovered, you should wait three months to have your first, second or booster doses of COVID-19 vaccination.

Getting vaccinated for influenza is strongly recommended every year because having COVID-19 and the flu at the same time can make you really sick.

If you have missed some medical or health appointments while you were in isolation, now is a good time to call your GP and arrange an appointment to have a check-up or get back on track with caring for your health.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms again more than 12 weeks after your recover, stay home and get tested.

If you get a positive result, complete 7 days of isolation. If you have a negative result, stay home until you no longer have symptoms.

If you have been told you are a close contact of someone who has COVID-19, follow the guidelines for close contacts.

Last updated: 2 June 2022

Try to stay at home and avoid contact with others if you have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or have symptoms of COVID-19.

Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you:

have any symptoms of COVID-19, and have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to go to work or do your normal activities
have tested positive for COVID-19 – this means it's very likely you have the virus

You should avoid being in close contact with people at higher risk from COVID-19.

This is particularly important if their immune system means they’re at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, even if they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine.

There’s further advice if you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatments.

You can find separate guidance for children and young people aged 18 or under on GOV.UK.

Find out about help and support while you're staying at home because of COVID-19

If you have COVID-19, you can pass on the virus to other people for up to 10 days from when your infection starts. Many people will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days.

You should:

try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days
avoiding meeting people at higher risk from COVID-19 for 10 days, especially if their immune system means they’re at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, even if they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine

This starts from the day after you did the test.

If a child or young person aged 18 or under tests positive for COVID-19, they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days. This starts from the day after they did the test.

Children and young people tend to be infectious to others for less time than adults. If they’re well and do not have a temperature after 3 days, there’s a much lower risk that they’ll pass on COVID-19 to others.

If you are feeling unwell and do not test positive or test negative for COVID-19

If you do not feel well enough to go to work and do your normal activities, you should:

try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people
avoid meeting people at higher risk from COVID-19, especially if their immune system means they’re at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, even if they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine

You can go back to your normal activities if you:

feel well enough to do so
do not have a high temperature

You can find separate guidance for children and young people aged 18 or under on GOV.UK.

When to seek medical advice

Go to 111.nhs.uk, call 111 or call your GP surgery if:

you’re worried about your symptoms
your symptoms get worse

In an emergency, go to A&E immediately or call 999.

try to work from home if you can – if you're unable to work from home, ask your employer about options available to you
stay at home if you can – this helps reduce the number of people you have contact with
avoid contact with people at higher risk from COVID-19 for 10 days, especially if their immune system means they’re at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, even if they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine
follow advice on how to avoid spreading COVID-19 to people you live with
let people who need to come into your home know that you’ve tested positive or have symptoms – they can then take steps to protect themselves, such as wearing a face covering that fits well, staying away from you as much as they can, and washing their hands regularly
contact your healthcare provider and tell them about your positive test result or symptoms if you’re asked to attend a medical or dental appointment in person
ask friends, family or neighbours to get food or other essentials for you

If you need to leave your home in the 5 days after your positive test result or while you're feeling unwell, you can take steps to avoid spreading COVID-19.

wear a face covering that fits snugly against your face and has more than 1 layer
avoid contact with people at higher risk from COVID-19, especially if their immune system means they’re at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, even if they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine
avoid indoor or crowded places (including public transport or large social gatherings) or where there is not much fresh air
do any exercise outdoors and where you will not be in close contact with other people
avoid touching your face
cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough
wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or use hand sanitiser, after you cough, sneeze or blow your nose, and before you eat and handle food