How long after testing positive can you test negative
How long can a person’s test remain positive for COVID-19?
How long after being tested positive for COVID-19 can you can resume being around others, if you have no symptoms?
When does a person with COVID-19 start being contagious?
Are recovered persons with persistent positive test of COVID-19 infectious to others?
Persons who have tested persistently or recurrently positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA have, in some cases, had their signs and symptoms of COVID-19 improve. When viral isolation in tissue culture has been attempted in such persons in South Korea and the United States, live virus has not been isolated. There is no evidence to date that clinically recovered persons with persistent or recurrent detection of viral RNA have transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to others.
Despite these observations, it’s not possible to conclude that all persons with persistent or recurrent detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA are no longer infectious. There is no firm evidence that the antibodies that develop in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection are protective. If these antibodies are protective, it’s not known what antibody levels are needed to protect against reinfection.
Can patients who have recovered from COVID-19 continue to have detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in upper respiratory specimens?
Can an infected person spread COVID-19 before showing symptoms?
An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 2 days before the person has any symptoms or tests positive. People who have COVID-19 don’t always have obvious symptoms. A person is still considered a close contact even if they were wearing a mask while they were around someone with COVID-19.
What should I do if I’ve been exposed to a person with COVID-19 and I have fully recovered from a COVID-19 infection in the previous 90 days?
Someone who tested positive for COVID-19 with a viral test within the previous 90 days and has subsequently recovered and remains without COVID-19 symptoms does not need to quarantine. However, close contacts with prior COVID-19 infection in the previous 90 days should:
• Wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days after exposure.
• Monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and isolate immediately if symptoms develop.
• Consult with a healthcare professional for testing recommendations if new symptoms develop.
Is presymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 possible?
What is the difference between presymptomatic and asymptomatic cases of COVID-19?
A presymptomatic case of COVID-19 is an individual infected with SARS-CoV-2 who has not yet exhibited symptoms at the time of testing but who later exhibits symptoms during the course of the infection.
An asymptomatic case is an individual infected with SARS-CoV-2 who does not exhibit symptoms at any time during the course of infection.
Can I be infected with COVID-19 if I am more than 6 feet away?
CDC continues to believe, based on current science, that people are more likely to become infected the longer and closer they are to a person with COVID-19.
Today’s update acknowledges the existence of some published reports showing limited, uncommon circumstances where people with COVID-19 infected others who were more than 6 feet away or shortly after the COVID-19-positive person left an area.
In these instances, transmission occurred in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces that often involved activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise. Such environments and activities may contribute to the buildup of virus-carrying particles.