COVID-19: people with COVID-19 and their contacts : Published 24 February 2022

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https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... r-contacts

Please see the link for info and any updates.

Who this guidance is for
There is no longer a legal requirement for people with coronavirus (COVID-19) infection to self-isolate, however if you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive test result, the public health advice is to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.

The following advice is for:

people with any of the main symptoms of COVID-19
people who have received a positive COVID-19 lateral flow device (LFD) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result
people who live in the same household as, or who have had close contact with, someone who has COVID-19
This also applies to children and young people who usually attend an education or childcare setting, with additional information available for these settings.

There is separate guidance for those working in health and social care settings.

This guidance applies in England.

What to do if you have COVID-19
The most effective way to avoid passing on COVID-19 infection is to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.

When someone with COVID-19 breathes, speaks, coughs or sneezes, they release small particles (droplets and aerosols) that contain the virus that causes COVID-19. These particles can come into contact with the eyes, nose or mouth or can be breathed in by another person. The particles can also land on surfaces and be passed from person to person via touch.

The risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 can be higher in certain places and when doing certain activities such as singing or vigorous exercise. In general, the risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 is highest when you are physically close to someone who is infected.

However, it is possible to be infected even by someone you do not have close contact with, especially if you are in a crowded, enclosed or poorly ventilated space. This is because the infectious particles can stay suspended in the air for some time.

If you have COVID-19, stay at home and avoid contact with other people
If you have COVID-19 you can infect other people from 2 days before your symptoms start, and for up to 10 days after. You can pass on the infection to others, even if you have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. If you have COVID-19 you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people.

You should:

not attend work. If you are unable to work from home, you should talk to your employer about options available to you. You may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay
ask friends, family, neighbours or volunteers to get food and other essentials for you
not invite social visitors into your home, including friends and family
postpone all non-essential services and repairs that require a home visit
cancel routine medical and dental appointments. If you are concerned about your health or you have been asked to attend an appointment in person during this time, discuss this with your medical contact and let them know about your symptoms or your test result
if you can, let people who you have been in close contact with know about your positive test result so that they can follow this guidance

Many people will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days. You may choose to take an LFD test from 5 days after your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you did not have symptoms) followed by another LFD test the next day. If both these test results are negative, and you do not have a high temperature, the risk that you are still infectious is much lower and you can safely return to your normal routine.