What to do if you have coronavirus (COVID-19) or symptoms of COVID-19

Self-isolation is when you do not leave your home because you have, or might have COVID-19. This helps stop spreading the virus to other people.

While you’re no longer required by law to self-isolate if you have COVID-19, you should still try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. This helps reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 on to others.

There's separate advice about what to do if you've been in close contact with someone with COVID-19

Try to stay at home and away from others

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

have any of the main 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

How long to stay at home and away from others

If you've tested positive for 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 have symptoms of COVID-19, and a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or 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

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.

How to avoid passing COVID-19 on to others

Please observe the following to avoid passing COVID-19 on to others:

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, 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

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

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 leave your home

You can take steps to avoid spreading COVID-19 if you leave your home:

in the 5 days after your positive test result
while you have symptoms of COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or feel unwell

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 hands and mouth when you cough or sneeze

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