--- title: How to Quarantine Yourself at Home If Exposed to Coronavirus description: An increasing number of people have been told to self-quarantine because they've been exposed to the new coronavirus. Here's how you're supposed to do that. canonical: https://time.com/5796642/how-to-quarantine-yourself-coronavirus/ author: Mélissa Godin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2020-03-05T14:03:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-14T08:54:16.207Z article:section: Health og:title: Here's How to Self-Quarantine If You Get Exposed to Coronavirus og:description: There are more than 95,000 cases of COVID-19 og:url: https://time.com/5796642/how-to-quarantine-yourself-coronavirus/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt98f5662e4b23fafc/698a0b32b21a9c968750341b/GettyImages-1202639438.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Schiavonia Hospital Red Zone Off Limits og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's How to Self-Quarantine If You Get Exposed to Coronavirus twitter:description: There are more than 95,000 cases of COVID-19 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt98f5662e4b23fafc/698a0b32b21a9c968750341b/GettyImages-1202639438.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's How to Self-Quarantine If You Get Exposed to Coronavirus > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=b847b1e6-d82a-4f87-90a0-931b3d1f64ca&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Time for Containing Coronavirus Is Over. Here's How The Government And Scientists Are Delivering The News. [Watch (HLS stream): The Time for Containing Coronavirus Is Over. Here's How The Government And Scientists Are Delivering The News.](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EfbNK6OZ.m3u8) (4:42)  _Published 2020-03-05. There comes a point in the unfolding of every epidemic when public-health officials acknowledge that despite their best efforts, an invisible microbial foe has managed to outwit them. That time has come._ by [Mélissa Godin](https://time.com/author/melissa-godin/) ## Mélissa Godin Mar 5, 2020 2:03 PM UTC There comes a point in the unfolding of every epidemic when public-health officials acknowledge that despite their best efforts, an invisible microbial foe has managed to outwit them. That time has come. by [Mélissa Godin](https://time.com/author/melissa-godin/) ## Mélissa Godin Mar 5, 2020 2:03 PM UTC As the new coronavirus COVID-19 continues to spread [around the world](https://time.com/5789631/coronavirus-covid-19-global-cases/), an increasing number of people have been told to self-quarantine. While some have tested positive for the virus, others have simply been exposed to it and have been advised to self-quarantine as a precaution. Not everyone, however, is taking self-quarantine seriously. Last Friday, a New Hampshire man who tested positive for the virus [attended an event](https://time.com/5795405/new-hampshire-coronavirus-patient-breaks-quarantine-to-attend-dartmouth-event/) despite being told to self-quarantine, putting several people’s health at risk. Patients who have tested positive for coronavirus have reported flu-like symptoms including fever, a dry cough, and difficulty breathing, with some developing pneumonia. In more severe instances, patients have suffered organ failure. Currently, there is no drug against coronavirus. While health officials continue to advise patients to “self-quarantine,” there’s a widespread lack of clarity on what it really entails. Ensuring that people self-quarantine properly, however, is crucial in preventing further spread of the virus. ## When should someone self-quarantine? If someone has traveled to an area affected by coronavirus, been in proximity to someone suspected of having the virus or develops symptoms, they are advised to self-quarantine. The virus has already spread to more than [80 countries](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-maps.html), with more than [95,000 cases](https://time.com/5789631/coronavirus-covid-19-global-cases/). Countries with the [highest number of confirmed cases](https://time.com/5789631/coronavirus-covid-19-global-cases/) include Mainland China, where the virus originated, followed by Italy, South Korea and Iran. You do not need to have traveled to a high-risk region, however, to be at risk of the virus. People who have been [within 6 feet](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html) of someone infected are at risk and should self-quarantine as a precaution. ## What does a self-quarantine entail? Self-quarantine involves staying at home for 14 days and avoiding contact with other people or animals. This means not going to work, taking public transport, running errands or having visitors stop by your home. While friends and family can drop off essential items, they should not come into contact with the infected person. Food can be delivered but should be left on doorstep. _Keep up to date with our daily coronavirus newsletter by clicking_[ _here_](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/coronavirus?source=article)_._ People should also monitor their symptoms while in self-quarantine. The Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention (CDC) [advises to](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html) “seek prompt medical attention” if symptoms worsen. Home quarantine should only be discontinued when the “risk of secondary transmission to others is thought to be low,” the [CDC says](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html), adding that the decision to end self-quarantine should be made in consultation with a healthcare provider as well as state and local health departments. ## **How does it affect other people in your home and family?** If an infected person shares a home with others, they should separate themselves from people and animals living on the property. The CDC advises that infected people wear a mask when entering communal spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, [cleaning hands frequently](https://time.com/5794400/coronavirus-hand-washing-song-happy-birthday/), avoiding sharing household items and regularly cleaning all “high-touch” surfaces. ## How should someone seek medical attention while self-quarantining? If someone suspects they have coronavirus, they should call a healthcare provider to notify them of their symptoms. Patients should not show up unannounced at healthcare facilities as this risks exposing others to the virus. ## Is it illegal to break self-quarantine? [The CDC says](https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/aboutlawsregulationsquarantineisolation.html) police have a right to enforce isolation or quarantine and that “in most states, breaking a quarantine order is a criminal misdemeanor.” In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) can make an official order for self-quarantine. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as the U.S. Coast Guard also have the right to enforce federally-mandated quarantines. ## Why is it important to self-quarantine? Self-quarantine can help stop the spread of the new coronavirus. As of March 3, COVID-19 has a 3.4% death rate according to [the World Health Organization, ](https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---3-march-2020)with elderly populations or patients with preexisting conditions most affected. Self-quarantine not only prevents others from getting sick. It can save people’s lives. While health officials have identified some of the ways the virus can spread, they still do not know all the ways it can be passed from person to person, making self-quarantine all the more important. “The big problem is that the transmissibility of this virus is still not understood,” David Heymann, a professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene, [told TIME](https://time.com/5789631/coronavirus-covid-19-global-cases/). “It’s understood how it is passed from person to person—social contact, a sneeze, a cough, face-to-face, and in hospital settings where there is not adequate infection prevention and control—but how easily this spreads in other circumstances is not known at present.” _Please send any tips, leads, and stories to_ [_virus@time.com_](mailto:virus@time.com)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5796642/how-to-quarantine-yourself-coronavirus/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5796642/how-to-quarantine-yourself-coronavirus/"},"headline":"Here's How to Self-Quarantine If You Get Exposed to Coronavirus","datePublished":"2020-03-05T14:03:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-14T08:54:16.207Z","description":"An increasing number of people have been told to self-quarantine because they've been exposed to the new coronavirus. 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