Tips for Determining Your Level of COVID-19 Contagiousness

On December 27, 2021, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the recommended amount of quarantine time for those with COVID-19 from 10 days to 5 days. But how are you to know whether you are still contagious after the 5 days are up? Experts suggest that if you test positive for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test after 5 days of quarantine, you could transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others. While rapid tests are not as sensitive as PCR tests for COVID-19, they are more convenient (available over the counter and taken at home), less expensive, and results are produced within 30 minutes. They are also sensitive enough to detect the presence of live virus. So what to do after you complete a 5-day quarantine? If possible, take a rapid antigen test. If it’s negative, your quarantine is over and you move on to 5 days of masking around others. If it’s positive, continue your quarantine for another 5 days. Click here to read more.