Is the isolation period of COVID-19 patients being re-evaluated? Is there any research that shows the virus stays in the body for a period of 90 days?
Is the isolation period of COVID-19 patients being re-evaluated? Is there any research that shows the virus stays in the body for a period of 90 days?
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Public health agencies have been updating their recommendations for isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the scientific understanding of how long someone can be sick and infectious to others evolves. For example, the U.K. Chief Medical Officers extended their isolation period for people who test positive from 7 days to 10 days in July 2020, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reduced their isolation period for international travelers from 14 days to 7 days in August 2020, and the French Prime Minister reduced their self-isolation period for people who test positive from 14 days to 7 days in September 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for releasing COVID-19 patients from isolation was updated in late May 2020 to recommend that people who are asymptomatic remain in isolation for 10 days, and that people with symptoms remain in isolation for at least 10 days after symptom onset and at least another 3 days without symptoms (or a minimum of 2 weeks). One large contact tracing study found that people were less likely to become infected with COVID-19 when exposed to a positive case after 6 days or more of the infected person's symptom onset, which is in alignment with how certain countries are now using 7 days as their recommended isolation period. Other studies suggest people with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 may be infectious up to 10 days after the symptom onset, with a documented case report of a person with mild COVID-19 who was shedding "replication-competent" virus specimens (an indicator for being able to infect others) for up to 18 days after symptom onset. Furthermore, some research suggests that people with more severe cases of COVID-19 or who are severely immunocompromised may remain infectious for up to 20 days after symptom onset. In terms of COVID-19 patients having evidence of the virus in their bodies for long periods of time, there have been studies suggesting that people with COVID-19 can continue to shed detectable virus specimens from their upper respiratory system for up to 3 months (or about 90 days) after symptom onset, but it is important to recognize that this may not be at a concentration that's high enough for the virus to replicate and infect others. People who continue to shed virus specimens for many weeks or even months after symptom onset are sometimes called "persistently positive," but according to a review of studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is currently little evidence of transmission by "persistently positive" people who have clinically recovered from COVID-19. Most of the data on how long people with COVID-19 remain infectious comes from adults, so more research is needed to understand how long children and infants may remain infectious. Additionally, research is ongoing on how the virus is shed in certain situations, such as in people who are immunocompromised. As more research findings emerge, public health guidelines will likely be updated around the recommended isolation periods for people with COVID-19 or who have been in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19.
Public health agencies have been updating their recommendations for isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the scientific understanding of how long someone can be sick and infectious to others evolves. For example, the U.K. Chief Medical Officers extended their isolation period for people who test positive from 7 days to 10 days in July 2020, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reduced their isolation period for international travelers from 14 days to 7 days in August 2020, and the French Prime Minister reduced their self-isolation period for people who test positive from 14 days to 7 days in September 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for releasing COVID-19 patients from isolation was updated in late May 2020 to recommend that people who are asymptomatic remain in isolation for 10 days, and that people with symptoms remain in isolation for at least 10 days after symptom onset and at least another 3 days without symptoms (or a minimum of 2 weeks). One large contact tracing study found that people were less likely to become infected with COVID-19 when exposed to a positive case after 6 days or more of the infected person's symptom onset, which is in alignment with how certain countries are now using 7 days as their recommended isolation period. Other studies suggest people with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 may be infectious up to 10 days after the symptom onset, with a documented case report of a person with mild COVID-19 who was shedding "replication-competent" virus specimens (an indicator for being able to infect others) for up to 18 days after symptom onset. Furthermore, some research suggests that people with more severe cases of COVID-19 or who are severely immunocompromised may remain infectious for up to 20 days after symptom onset. In terms of COVID-19 patients having evidence of the virus in their bodies for long periods of time, there have been studies suggesting that people with COVID-19 can continue to shed detectable virus specimens from their upper respiratory system for up to 3 months (or about 90 days) after symptom onset, but it is important to recognize that this may not be at a concentration that's high enough for the virus to replicate and infect others. People who continue to shed virus specimens for many weeks or even months after symptom onset are sometimes called "persistently positive," but according to a review of studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is currently little evidence of transmission by "persistently positive" people who have clinically recovered from COVID-19. Most of the data on how long people with COVID-19 remain infectious comes from adults, so more research is needed to understand how long children and infants may remain infectious. Additionally, research is ongoing on how the virus is shed in certain situations, such as in people who are immunocompromised. As more research findings emerge, public health guidelines will likely be updated around the recommended isolation periods for people with COVID-19 or who have been in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19.
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What our experts say
Public health agencies have been updating their recommendations for isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the scientific understanding of how long someone can be sick and infectious to others evolves. For example, the U.K. Chief Medical Officers extended their isolation period for people who test positive from 7 days to 10 days in July 2020, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reduced their isolation period for international travelers from 14 days to 7 days in August 2020, and the French Prime Minister reduced their self-isolation period for people who test positive from 14 days to 7 days in September 2020.
The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for releasing COVID-19 patients from isolation was updated in late May 2020 to recommend that people who are asymptomatic remain in isolation for 10 days, and that people with symptoms remain in isolation for at least 10 days after symptom onset and at least another 3 days without symptoms (or a minimum of 2 weeks).
One large contact tracing study found that people were less likely to become infected with COVID-19 when exposed to a positive case after 6 days or more of the infected person's symptom onset, which is in alignment with how certain countries are now using 7 days as their recommended isolation period.
Other studies suggest people with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 may be infectious up to 10 days after the symptom onset, with a documented case report of a person with mild COVID-19 who was shedding "replication-competent" virus specimens (an indicator for being able to infect others) for up to 18 days after symptom onset. Furthermore, some research suggests that people with more severe cases of COVID-19 or who are severely immunocompromised may remain infectious for up to 20 days after symptom onset.
In terms of COVID-19 patients having evidence of the virus in their bodies for long periods of time, there have been studies suggesting that people with COVID-19 can continue to shed detectable virus specimens from their upper respiratory system for up to 3 months (or about 90 days) after symptom onset, but it is important to recognize that this may not be at a concentration that's high enough for the virus to replicate and infect others.
People who continue to shed virus specimens for many weeks or even months after symptom onset are sometimes called "persistently positive," but according to a review of studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is currently little evidence of transmission by "persistently positive" people who have clinically recovered from COVID-19.
Most of the data on how long people with COVID-19 remain infectious comes from adults, so more research is needed to understand how long children and infants may remain infectious. Additionally, research is ongoing on how the virus is shed in certain situations, such as in people who are immunocompromised. As more research findings emerge, public health guidelines will likely be updated around the recommended isolation periods for people with COVID-19 or who have been in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19.
Public health agencies have been updating their recommendations for isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the scientific understanding of how long someone can be sick and infectious to others evolves. For example, the U.K. Chief Medical Officers extended their isolation period for people who test positive from 7 days to 10 days in July 2020, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reduced their isolation period for international travelers from 14 days to 7 days in August 2020, and the French Prime Minister reduced their self-isolation period for people who test positive from 14 days to 7 days in September 2020.
The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for releasing COVID-19 patients from isolation was updated in late May 2020 to recommend that people who are asymptomatic remain in isolation for 10 days, and that people with symptoms remain in isolation for at least 10 days after symptom onset and at least another 3 days without symptoms (or a minimum of 2 weeks).
One large contact tracing study found that people were less likely to become infected with COVID-19 when exposed to a positive case after 6 days or more of the infected person's symptom onset, which is in alignment with how certain countries are now using 7 days as their recommended isolation period.
Other studies suggest people with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 may be infectious up to 10 days after the symptom onset, with a documented case report of a person with mild COVID-19 who was shedding "replication-competent" virus specimens (an indicator for being able to infect others) for up to 18 days after symptom onset. Furthermore, some research suggests that people with more severe cases of COVID-19 or who are severely immunocompromised may remain infectious for up to 20 days after symptom onset.
In terms of COVID-19 patients having evidence of the virus in their bodies for long periods of time, there have been studies suggesting that people with COVID-19 can continue to shed detectable virus specimens from their upper respiratory system for up to 3 months (or about 90 days) after symptom onset, but it is important to recognize that this may not be at a concentration that's high enough for the virus to replicate and infect others.
People who continue to shed virus specimens for many weeks or even months after symptom onset are sometimes called "persistently positive," but according to a review of studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is currently little evidence of transmission by "persistently positive" people who have clinically recovered from COVID-19.
Most of the data on how long people with COVID-19 remain infectious comes from adults, so more research is needed to understand how long children and infants may remain infectious. Additionally, research is ongoing on how the virus is shed in certain situations, such as in people who are immunocompromised. As more research findings emerge, public health guidelines will likely be updated around the recommended isolation periods for people with COVID-19 or who have been in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19.
Context and background
Public health agencies need to protect the public by using safe thresholds for how long people who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate, while also making sure that people who are no longer infectious are not unnecessarily kept isolated from loved ones and unable to participate in work, school, or other responsibilities. There are also inequities around who is able to remain in isolation for long periods of time, due to economic and caretaking needs.
The U.S. CDC says that recent research findings "strengthen the justification for relying on a symptom based, rather than test-based strategy for ending isolation." More research is currently being done on how long someone who has COVID-19 poses a risk of infecting others, particularly in different contexts around the world.
Public health agencies need to protect the public by using safe thresholds for how long people who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate, while also making sure that people who are no longer infectious are not unnecessarily kept isolated from loved ones and unable to participate in work, school, or other responsibilities. There are also inequities around who is able to remain in isolation for long periods of time, due to economic and caretaking needs.
The U.S. CDC says that recent research findings "strengthen the justification for relying on a symptom based, rather than test-based strategy for ending isolation." More research is currently being done on how long someone who has COVID-19 poses a risk of infecting others, particularly in different contexts around the world.
Resources
- Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19 (U.S. CDC)
- Criteria for releasing COVID-19 patients from isolation (WHO)
- Coronavirus: Virus isolation period extended from seven to 10 days (BBC)
- French PM reduces self-isolation time to 7 days (Associated Press)
- Revised guidelines for international arrivals (India Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
- Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19 (U.S. CDC)
- Criteria for releasing COVID-19 patients from isolation (WHO)
- Coronavirus: Virus isolation period extended from seven to 10 days (BBC)
- French PM reduces self-isolation time to 7 days (Associated Press)
- Revised guidelines for international arrivals (India Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
