Quarantine Timelines
(subject to change at discretion of medical director as KDHE/CDC guidelines change)
Positive Case
▪ If asymptomatic, patient will be isolated for a minimum of 10 days from the test date.
▪ If symptomatic, patient will be isolated for a minimum of 10 days from the start of symptoms.
▪ If patient requires ICU care or is severely immunocompromised, isolation will be a minimum of 20
days from symptom start date.
▪ Patient must also be afebrile (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine) for at least 72
hours and must have improvement of other symptoms before release.
Non-Household Contact of a Positive Case
▪ Defined as someone who was within 6 feet of positive case for 15 minutes or longer (cumulatively
within a 24-hour period) without the use of masks by both parties. A positive case is considered
infectious for 2 days before the onset of the first symptom or 2 days before the test date if
the positive case is asymptomatic.
▪ Contact must quarantine per following guidelines:
o If remains asymptomatic:
▪ May test on or after day 6 for release after day 7
▪ If chooses not to test, will release after day 10
o If becomes symptomatic:
▪ Recommended to test. If positive, will follow above guidelines.
▪ If chooses not to test, will quarantine for 10 days from the start of symptoms.
Household Contact of a Positive Case
▪ Defined as someone who lives at the same address as a positive case. Staying in a separate area
of the house or in the basement does NOT exclude a person as a household contact.
▪ Contact must quarantine per following guidelines:
o Must quarantine with the household contact while he/she is in isolation (10+ days) plus:
▪ If remains asymptomatic:
• May test on or after day 2 for release after day 3 (no sooner than day 13)
• If chooses not to test, will release after day 5 (no sooner than day 15)
▪ If becomes symptomatic:
• Recommended to test. If positive, will follow above guidelines.
• If chooses not to test, will quarantine a minimum of 10 additional days based
on symptoms and household contact symptom start date (no sooner than day
20)
Exceptions:
▪ PRIOR COVID INFECTION:
o Contacts with PCR or antigen evidence of previous infection within the 6 months prior to
exposure do not need to quarantine as long as asymptomatic.
o Positive antibody testing does NOT count as evidence of prior infection.
o These contacts will be advised to mask in indoor public settings for 14 days after their
last exposure.
o Vaccinated contacts will be offered testing at regular intervals as recommended by
CDC/KDHE (currently 3-5 days after exposure and again at 7-10 days after exposure).
o If contact becomes symptomatic, contact will be advised on testing/quarantining per above
guidelines.
▪ VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS:
o If contact has completed a vaccine series and is at least 14 days out from the last shot of
the series, he/she does not need to quarantine as long as remaining asymptomatic.
o If contact becomes symptomatic, contact will be advised on testing/quarantining per above
guidelines.
o These contacts will be advised to mask in indoor public settings for 14 days after their
last exposure.
o Vaccinated contacts will be offered testing at regular intervals as recommended by
CDC/KDHE (currently 3-5 days after exposure and again at 7-10 days after exposure).
o If contact is partially vaccinated or less than 14 days out from the last shot of the series,
he/she will be required to quarantine as described above.