Mpox (monkeypox): people who are isolating at home
Guidance for people who have been diagnosed with a mpox infection and who have been advised to self-isolate at home.
Applies to England
Who this guidance is for
This guidance is for people who have been diagnosed with a mpox infection and who have been advised to self-isolate at home. You may have been discharged from hospital to continue isolation at home, or you may be self-isolating at home without having been admitted to hospital.
Some people may be more at risk of becoming severely unwell from mpox. It is important to follow the advice in this guidance to reduce the spread of infection and help to keep others safe.
About mpox
Mpox is a rare disease that is caused by the mpox virus. Mpox is most commonly seen in central and west Africa but there has been a recent increase in cases in the UK as well as other parts of the world where it has not been seen before.
Mpox usually causes a mild illness that resolves without treatment and most people recover within a few weeks, although severe illness can occur in some people. It is possible that young children, pregnant women and immunocompromised people are more at risk of becoming severely unwell.
Many cases of mpox across the world are suspected to be caused by contact with infected animals. Mpox can also spread between people, but it does not generally spread easily. The chance of catching the infection increases when there is close contact with someone who has mpox symptoms.
Mpox spreads between people mainly through:
- direct contact with skin lesions or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or holding hands)
- contact with clothing or linens (such as bedding or towels) used by a person with mpox infection
- respiratory droplets during close face-to-face contact
Mpox infection usually starts with symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, chills or exhaustion. This is followed by a rash a few days later that may start on the face, groin or hands, before spreading to the rest of the body.
Images of individual mpox lesions
The rash starts as raised spots, which turn into small blisters filled with fluid. These blisters eventually form scabs which later fall off.
An individual with mpox is considered infectious from when their symptoms start, until their lesions have scabbed over, all the scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath. This may take several weeks.
How to isolate safely at home if you have mpox infection
Isolate at home
If you have been diagnosed with mpox and you have been advised to self-isolate at home by your doctor, you should not go to work, school or public areas.
If you have a garden, it is fine to use it. As mpox spreads via close contact, to protect other members of your household you should keep at least 3 steps (1 metre) away from them even while you are in the garden.
You should only leave your home for essential purposes such as emergencies, urgent medical appointments, or for urgent health and wellbeing issues. Any non-essential medical or dental treatment should be postponed. You should discuss any essential treatment required with your healthcare provider.
If you need to leave your home, make sure all skin lesions on your body are completely covered for example by wearing a long-sleeved top and full-length trousers. Wear a well-fitting surgical face mask or a double-layered face covering while you are outside your home.
Keep the time spent outside your home as short as possible and avoid all contact with objects such as furniture in public spaces. If you need to attend hospital you should walk, cycle or drive yourself there. If you do not have your own vehicle, public transport can be used but you should avoid busy periods, cover any lesions with cloth (for example using scarfs or bandages) and wear a double-layered face covering.
Ask friends or relatives for help with buying groceries, collecting medication and other essentials, or order them online. Friends, relatives and delivery drivers should leave items outside your home and should not come inside. They should not touch anything that you have touched.
Do not invite or allow social visitors, such as friends and family, to visit you at home.
You may be eligible for financial support if you are unable to work.
By staying home, you are protecting others and preventing the spread of infection.
Avoid close contact with people you live with
People who live in the same household as someone with mpox are at highest risk of becoming infected themselves because they are most likely to have prolonged, close, skin-to-skin, intimate or sexual contact (for example frequent touching or cuddling), or to be sharing bedding, clothes or towels. If you live with other people they will have been given advice on what they should do.
You should limit close contact with others in your household and take the following actions to help reduce the chance of passing your infection on to the people you live with:
- sleep in a separate room, if available, and do not share bedding
- refrain from intimate or sexual activity
- use a separate bathroom from the rest of your household, if available. If you do not have a separate bathroom, follow the cleaning instructions
- use your own toothbrush, towels and washcloths
- use separate dishes, cups and cutlery
- do not share food and drink
- eat in a separate room – ask the people you live with to bring your meals to you
- cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissues when you cough or sneeze and dispose of them in a bag – place this into a second disposable bag and tie it securely before disposing as usual with your household waste, then wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds
- clean your hands frequently throughout the day by washing with soap and water for 20 seconds – use a separate soap dispenser and hand towel from the rest of the household.
If you need to spend time in the same room as someone in your household you should avoid physical contact and aim to keep at least 3 steps (1 metre) away from them. In addition, wearing a well-fitting surgical face mask or double-layered face covering may provide some additional protection.
It is particularly important to avoid close contact with young children, pregnant women and immunocompromised people as they may be at higher risk of serious illness.
If you are unable to follow the advice in this section at any time during your self-isolation period you should speak to your medical team who will explore other options, including moving to another location if necessary.
Cleaning, disinfection and waste disposal
You should handle your own used dishes, cups and cutlery. If you have one, use a dishwasher to clean and dry these items. If this is not possible, wash your own crockery and cutlery using your usual washing up liquid and warm water and leave them to air dry.
If you have lesions on your hands and you have no access to a dishwasher, wear single use disposable gloves or reusable washing up gloves while washing up. Any reusable gloves should not be shared and should be discarded at the end of your isolation period.
You should regularly clean surfaces that you touch frequently, such as door handles and light switches and use a damp cloth to prevent dust from accumulating on surfaces, especially in your bedroom. You should clean shared bathrooms each time you use them, paying particular attention to the surfaces you have touched. You can use your usual household cleaning products for this, such as detergents and bleach.
If you have had to travel in a car with a friend or relative, you should wear a well-fitting surgical face mask or double-layered face covering while in the car. Your friend or relative should wipe down all hard surfaces after the journey using a standard detergent or detergent wipes while wearing gloves and surgical face mask or face covering. Personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths can be stored securely within disposable rubbish bags.
Vacuum cleaner waste, including disposable filters if your vacuum cleaner has one, should be carefully emptied into a disposable rubbish bag.
As an additional precaution, all disposable rubbish bags should be placed into a second disposable bag, tied securely, before being disposed of as usual with your domestic waste. You should not put any waste into recycling bins until you have ended your self-isolation.
Laundry
You should do your own laundry. Keep your laundry items separate from the rest of the household’s laundry and wash them using your normal detergent, following manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, use the highest temperature the items can withstand. Do not overload the washing machine (aim for half or two-thirds full) and avoid shorter ‘economy cycles’ (those which reduce water and save energy) to ensure thorough cleaning.
When you are taking laundry to the washing machine it is important to avoid shaking the laundry, as this could spread virus particles into the air and onto surfaces in your home. If you are carrying laundry from one room to another you should consider placing dirty laundry in a large plastic bag (such as bin liner) or a container then taking it straight to the washing machine.
If you do not have a washing machine, you can handwash your laundry using warm water and your normal detergent. This might be more effective in a large sink or bathtub. It is important to clean all surfaces when you have finished.
Pets
It is possible that pets could become infected or contaminated with the virus through close contact with an infected person and spread the virus to others but the risk is very low.
If you have pets you should follow the guidance published by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for pet owners who are isolating because of mpox.
If you need medical advice
You will have been provided with contact details of the medical team providing your care. You should call this team if you have any concerns. Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is worsening. In an emergency, dial 999 and inform the call handler or operator that you have mpox infection.
All non-urgent medical and dental appointments should be cancelled while you are isolating at home. If you are concerned or have been asked to attend in person within the period you are home isolating, discuss this with your medical contact first.
Ending self-isolation
You should self-isolate at home until:
- you have not had a high temperature for at least 72 hours
- you have had no new lesions in the previous 48 hours
- all your lesions have scabbed over
- you have no lesions in your mouth
- any lesions on your face, arms and hands have scabbed over, all the scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath
If you meet all of the points above, you may be able to stop self-isolating and you should contact the medical team for further advice.
You should continue to avoid close contact with young children, pregnant women and immunocompromised people until the scabs on all your lesions have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath. This is because you may still be infectious until the scabs have fallen off.
After your self-isolation has ended you should cover any remaining lesions when leaving the house or having close contact with people in your household. Do this until all the scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath.
Resuming sexual activity
While you are self-isolating, you are advised to refrain from all close contact, including sexual activity, to reduce the risk of passing the infection on to your partner.
It is not known how long mpox virus remains present in semen and other genital excretions. If you wish to resume sexual activity after your self-isolation has ended you should use a condom for 12 weeks after your rash has scabbed over and scabs have fallen off. This is a precaution to reduce the risk of spreading infection to your partner.
This guidance will be updated as further information is available.
Look after your wellbeing
Staying at home for a prolonged period can be difficult, frustrating and lonely for some people and you or other household members may feel low. It can be particularly challenging if you don’t have much space or access to a garden.
It is important to remember to take care of your mind as well as your body and to get support if you need it. Stay in touch with family and friends over the phone or on social media. There are also sources of support and information that can help.
The Every Mind Matters website provides a lot of useful information.
Easy read
Translations
Last updated 7 September 2022 + show all updates
-
Updated translations.
-
Updated 'About monkeypox' section, information on how to isolate safely at home, and added easy read version.
-
Updated translations.
-
Updated information on avoiding close contact with the people you live with.
-
Added translations in line with 15 July update.
-
Updated information on using a condom after recovery from infection.
-
Added link to APHA guidance for pet owners who are isolating because of monkeypox.
-
Added translations.
-
First published.