If a person recovered and four weeks later through contact tracing, tested positive again, are they infectious to others or do they need to be in isolation?

For persons who remain asymptomatic following recovery from COVID-19, retesting (e.g., as part of a contact tracing investigation) is not necessary during the first 3 months after the date of symptom onset. When a positive test occurs less than 3 months after the person’s symptom onset of their most recent illness, it is possible that the positive test represents a new infection or a persistently positive test associated with the previous infection. If a positive test occurs more than 3 months after a person’s symptom onset, clinicians and public health authorities should consider the possibility of reinfection. Until we have more information, the determination of whether a patient with a positive test in these situations is contagious to others should be made on a case-by-case basis. Consider consultation with infectious disease specialists and public health authorities to review all available information (e.g., medical history, time from an initial positive test, RT-PCR Ct values, and presence of COVID-19 signs or symptoms). Persons who are determined to be potentially infectious should undergo an evaluation and remain isolated until they again meet the criteria for discontinuation of isolation or discontinuation of transmission-based precautions, depending on their circumstances.

Show All Answers

1. What should I do if I was potentially exposed outside of the workplace?
2. What should I do if I was potentially exposed in the workplace?
3. When should I be quarantined or isolated for 14 days?
4. If I am quarantined, am I expected to work remotely?
5. Do I need a doctor's note to return to work after quarantine?
6. What should I do if I am not sick but have been in the proximity of someone who is under self-quarantine (i.e., the person was asked to self-quarantine because a potential exposure)?
7. If a previously infected person has clinically recovered but later develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19, should the person be isolated again and tested for SARS-CoV-2?
8. If an infected person has clinically recovered and then later identified as a contact of a new case, do they need to be quarantined?
9. If an infected person has clinically recovered, using the symptom-based strategy, do they need a test to show they are not infectious?
10. If an infected person has clinically recovered, should the person continue to wear a cloth face covering in public?
11. Similarities and Differences between Flu and COVID-19
12. Can people who recover from COVID-19 be re-infected with SARS-CoV-2
13. If a person recovered and four weeks later through contact tracing, tested positive again, are they infectious to others or do they need to be in isolation?