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Start with the sick person’s time at home
CDC’s general public guidance is symptom-based, not a fixed number of isolation days. A person with respiratory-virus symptoms should stay home and away from others until both conditions have been true for at least 24 hours: symptoms are improving overall, and any fever has been absent without fever-reducing medicine. This is the threshold for returning to normal activities—not a promise that the person is no longer contagious.
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While the person is sick, reduce the amount of time household members spend close together and add space when practical. CDC does not name a single distance that makes contact safe, and its public guidance does not prescribe one room-by-room isolation plan for every home. Adapt the separation to the layout, caregiving needs, and other circumstances in your household.
Make a workable household plan
- Choose where the sick person will spend most of their time. If a separate room is available and practical, use it to reduce shared indoor time. If not, make a modest plan that limits close contact where possible rather than treating separation as all-or-nothing.
- Reduce unnecessary shared time. Keep visits and close conversations shorter, and use more space when people are in the same room. Household members may still need to provide care; concentrate on the protections that are feasible during those interactions.
- Decide what to do when sharing a room cannot be avoided. Improve airflow, create space, and consider a well-fitting mask for the shared indoor time. CDC recommends layers of precautions, not reliance on a single measure.
These are practical ways to apply CDC’s advice to stay away from others and add physical space; they are not a CDC-mandated isolation layout. A home with children, shared bedrooms, limited rooms, or caregiving responsibilities may need a different arrangement.
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Think of the plan as reducing opportunities for close exposure, not creating a perfect barrier. Start with the parts of the day when people are most likely to be together indoors, then ask which changes are realistic: can people spend less time in the same room, sit farther apart, or improve air while they are together? If a caregiver must be close to the sick person, prioritize cleaner air and a well-fitting mask during that shared time. No single distance or household layout guarantees safety.
Improve indoor air
Respiratory viruses can spread through the air people breathe, particularly indoors and in crowded spaces. Making indoor air cleaner can lower exposure, though it cannot guarantee that infection will be prevented. CDC’s home suggestions include bringing outdoor air inside, running exhaust fans, and using a portable HEPA air cleaner.
Bring in outdoor air when feasible
- Open windows or doors when doing so is feasible and safe for the household and the conditions outside.
- Run kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans to help move indoor air out.
- Use more than one practical air-improving step if available; do not treat an open window or a fan as a substitute for reducing close contact.
There is no requirement to make a home uncomfortable or unsafe to ventilate it. Use the options your space and circumstances allow, and combine them with the other precautions in this guide. The useful question is not whether you can make every room perfectly ventilated, but which measures your home can sustain while the sick person and others are indoors together.
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Use central HVAC and portable filtration appropriately
If your home has central heating or cooling with a filter, CDC advises using pleated filters and following the system and filter manufacturer’s instructions. When visitors are present, CDC suggests setting the HVAC fan to “on” rather than “auto.” A portable HEPA air cleaner is another option to consider.
For a portable cleaner, CDC supports the product category, not a specific brand or model. Before choosing one, check whether it is suitable for the room where it will be used, how readily its replacement filters are available and what they cost, how noisy it is, and whether its operating instructions are practical for your household. These are comparison points, not evidence that a particular device has been tested or endorsed by CDC.
In practice, compare the cleaner with the room where you expect to use it rather than choosing on appearance alone. Check the stated room-size suitability, whether replacement filters are easy to obtain, and the ongoing filter cost as well as the purchase price. Consider whether the noise level is manageable for the room and whether the controls and operating instructions are simple enough to use consistently. The CDC guidance supports considering a portable HEPA cleaner; it does not identify a required model, price, or brand.
If the home has central HVAC, do not assume that any filter will work in any system. Follow the system and filter maker’s guidance so that the equipment is used appropriately. Pleated replacement filters are the type CDC identifies, and its fan-setting advice specifically mentions having visitors present. Cleaner air is one layer alongside reduced close contact, masks when sharing space, and hygiene.
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Use masks when people must share indoor space
A mask can reduce spread from an infected person and can also protect the person wearing it from infectious particles. CDC advises choosing the most protective mask you can comfortably wear for extended periods and that fits well. The fit should cover both the nose and mouth; a mask that cannot be worn consistently or does not fit well is a poor choice for this purpose.
Different masks offer different levels of protection. When choosing among masks, consider the protective design, fit on the wearer’s face, and whether it is comfortable enough to wear for the needed period. CDC’s advice is not a recommendation of a particular product. If people need to be in the same indoor room, mask use can complement cleaner air and added space; it does not replace them.
For a household, the practical test is whether the mask covers both nose and mouth, fits the wearer well, and can be worn comfortably for the time it is needed. A highly protective design is not useful if it is too uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. Conversely, comfort alone is not enough if the mask does not fit. Consider masks especially when close indoor contact is difficult to avoid, while continuing to improve air and create space as circumstances allow.
Keep up cough, hand, and surface hygiene
- Cover coughs and sneezes. Use a tissue or otherwise cover them, then dispose of the tissue and clean your hands.
- Wash hands regularly. When soap and water are unavailable, CDC recommends a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces. Use household soap- or detergent-based cleaners on commonly touched surfaces.
Hygiene is one layer of prevention, not the main substitute for cleaner air, less close contact, and a well-fitting mask when sharing space. Flu can also spread when someone touches a contaminated surface and then their eyes, nose, or mouth, but CDC describes this as less common than person-to-person spread. That is why surface cleaning belongs in the routine without displacing the other measures.
Keep the steps straightforward: cover coughs and sneezes, dispose of used tissues, and clean hands afterward. Wash with soap and water when available; use sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when soap and water are unavailable. Focus surface cleaning on frequently touched surfaces and use a household soap- or detergent-based cleaner. These habits support prevention, but an intensive surface-cleaning routine should not crowd out attention to the air and close contact.
Protect household members at higher risk
If someone in the household is at greater risk of severe illness, take particular care to reduce their exposure while another person is sick. Use the feasible layers together: less close contact, more space, improved air, and a well-fitting mask when people share indoor space. CDC notes that treatments for flu and COVID-19 are available for people at higher risk; anyone in that group who becomes ill should seek health care promptly.
This is a reason to act promptly if a higher-risk person develops symptoms, not to wait for symptoms to become severe before seeking advice. Household prevention steps reduce risk but cannot eliminate it, so be attentive to illness in people who could face greater consequences.
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Care needs and home layouts differ, so there may not be a way to keep every interaction separate. In that case, focus on feasible protections during the interactions that do happen: make the air cleaner, allow more space where possible, and use a well-fitting mask. If the higher-risk person becomes ill, contact a health care professional promptly about care and treatment options. CDC notes that flu and COVID-19 treatments are available for people at higher risk; the guidance does not mean every person should use the same treatment.
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Once symptoms are improving overall and fever has been absent for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine, CDC’s general public guidance allows a return to normal activities. For the next five days, use added precautions when around other people. CDC’s examples are cleaner air, hygiene, a well-fitting mask, physical distance, and testing when around others.
Choose the measures that fit the situation and use them together where practical. For example, a person returning to shared indoor activities can improve airflow, wear a well-fitting mask, and leave more space around others. Testing is among CDC’s examples for the added-precaution period; the guidance does not make a test a replacement for the symptom and fever threshold.
The two parts of the return threshold both matter: symptoms should be improving overall, and any fever should have been gone for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine. The guidance does not set a fixed number of days after symptoms begin. After returning, continue added precautions for five days. Treat that as a period for extra care around other people, rather than as a claim that risk is zero once the five days have passed.
If fever returns or symptoms worsen after normal activities resume, stay home and away from others again. Resume normal activities only after the same two conditions—overall symptoms improving and no fever without fever-reducing medicine—have both been met for at least 24 hours. Then use added precautions for five days after returning again.
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Know which guidance applies
The time threshold and five-day precaution period described here come from CDC general public respiratory-virus guidance. Healthcare settings have separate CDC guidance, so people who work in or are receiving care in those settings should follow the applicable instructions. Follow any clinician-specific or locally applicable directions as well.
The CDC pages underlying this guidance are dated August 18, 2025 for staying home, cleaner air, masks, and hygiene; the flu prevention page was reviewed September 3, 2025; and the COVID-19 prevention page was updated March 10, 2025. Public-health recommendations can change, so consult CDC or a clinician for the applicable guidance if circumstances require a more specific answer.
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- True HEPA Filter: The 2-stage filtration system eliminates 99.97% of germs. Stage 1 is an Activated Carbon Pre-Filter that traps odors and harmful gasses, while the Stage 2 True HEPA Filter eliminates dust, dander, pet hair, pollen, mold spores, and smoke in the air.
- CORDLESS & TRAVEL-FRIENDLY: The rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts up to 12 hours on low setting, so you can use the purifier with or without an outlet. You can even purify the air inside your car for cleaner air to and from any location. Weighing less than 1 pound, it’s a lightweight and portable option for anyone on-the-go.
- Customized Features: The adjustable handle allows you to place the air purifier either upright or on its side to find the best position, or even remove the handle when you don’t need it. Choose from 3 fan speeds (low, medium, or high) to find the air purification that works best for you. Place the fan speed on high and the purifier can even double as your own personal cooling fan.
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What these measures can—and cannot—tell you
CDC’s public guidance gives practical actions and timing thresholds, but it does not define one universally safe distance or a single isolation layout for every household. Nor does it provide a percentage estimate for how much a particular combination of measures will reduce household transmission. Treat the measures as risk reduction, not a guarantee. Prioritize the steps that are feasible in your home and layer them rather than expecting any one action to do the whole job.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I go back to normal activities after a respiratory illness?
CDC’s general public guidance says to wait until symptoms are improving overall and any fever has been absent for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine. After returning, take added precautions for the next five days. Healthcare settings have separate guidance.
What should I do if my fever comes back or my symptoms get worse?
Stay home and away from others again. Resume normal activities when symptoms are improving overall and any fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine. Then take added precautions for five days after returning.
How do I improve the air in my home when someone is sick?
When feasible and safe, open doors or windows to bring in outdoor air, run kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans, and consider a portable HEPA air cleaner. If you have central HVAC, use pleated filters according to the manufacturer’s instructions; CDC suggests setting the fan to “on” rather than “auto” when visitors are present.
What if I cannot put the sick person in a separate room?
CDC does not prescribe one room-by-room plan for every home. Reduce close contact and shared time as much as circumstances allow, add space when people must share a room, improve the air, and consider a well-fitting mask during shared indoor time.
Which mask should I use around someone who is sick?
CDC advises choosing the most protective mask you can comfortably wear for extended periods and that fits well over both your nose and mouth. Fit, protective design, and wearability matter; no specific brand is endorsed here.
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No single measure guarantees prevention. Clean frequently touched surfaces with household soap- or detergent-based cleaners, but prioritize this alongside cleaner air, less close contact, and a well-fitting mask when people must share indoor space. Flu can spread via contaminated surfaces, though CDC says this is less common than person-to-person spread.
Should a higher-risk household member wait to seek care if they become ill?
CDC advises people at higher risk who become ill to seek health care promptly. Treatments for flu and COVID-19 are available for people at higher risk, so do not wait for symptoms to become severe before seeking advice.
The Bottom Line
When someone is sick, reduce close contact as much as your household can, improve indoor air, and use a well-fitting mask when sharing space. Cover coughs and sneezes, wash or sanitize hands, and clean frequently touched surfaces. Return to normal activities only after symptoms are improving overall and any fever has been gone for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine; then use added precautions for five days. These steps reduce risk, but do not guarantee that others will avoid infection.
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