Guidance

[Withdrawn] Guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person

Updated 15 February 2022

This guidance was withdrawn on 24 February 2022

The information in this guidance has been superseded by information in COVID-19: people with COVID-19 and their contacts.

Applies to England

If you live in the same household as a person who has symptoms of coronavirus (COVID- 19) or who has received a positive LFD or PCR test result, follow the Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19.

If you have been in close contact with, but do not live with, a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, follow the guidance below.

1. What has changed

The advice for people who have a positive LFD test result has changed. They are no longer required to have a follow-up PCR test, and they should stay at home and self-isolate immediately.

People who have a positive LFD test result should only have a follow-up PCR test if:

• they wish to claim the Test and Trace Support Payment
• they have a health condition that means they may be suitable for new COVID-19 treatments
• they are taking LFD tests as part of research or surveillance programmes, and the programme asks them to do so

2. Who this guidance is for

This guidance is for contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-19. These contacts are at risk of developing COVID-19 themselves in the next 10 days and of spreading the virus to others, even if they do not have any symptoms.

This guidance is for contacts who do not live in the same household as the person who has tested positive for COVID-19.

If you live in the same household as a person who has symptoms of COVID-19 or who has received a positive LFD or PCR test result, follow the Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19.

There is separate guidance for those working in health and social care settings.

3. Symptoms of COVID-19

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are recent onset of any of the following:

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

For most people, COVID-19 will be a mild illness. However, if you have any of the symptoms listed above, even if your symptoms are mild, stay at home and arrange to have a PCR test. You do not need to take a PCR test if you have already taken an LFD test and the result was positive.

There are several other symptoms linked with COVID-19. These symptoms may have another cause and are not on their own a reason to have a COVID-19 PCR test. If you are concerned about your symptoms, seek medical advice.

4. What is meant by a contact

A contact is a person who has been close to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. You can be a contact any time from 2 days before the person who tested positive developed their symptoms (or, if they did not have any symptoms, from 2 days before the date their positive test was taken) and up to 10 days after – as this is when they can pass the infection on to others. A risk assessment may be undertaken to determine this, but a contact can be:

• anyone who lives in the same household as another person who has COVID-19 symptoms or has tested positive for COVID-19
• anyone who has had any of the following types of contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19:
  • face-to-face contact including being coughed on or having a face-to-face conversation within one metre
  • been within one metre for one minute or longer without face-to-face contact
  • been within 2 metres of someone for more than 15 minutes (either as a one-off contact, or added up together over one day)

A person may also be a close contact if they have travelled in the same vehicle or plane as a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.

If you have been identified as a contact, you have been assessed as being at risk of developing COVID-19, even if you don’t have any symptoms. You will be notified by NHS Test and Trace via text message, email or phone or by the NHS COVID-19 app, and you should follow all the guidance in this document.

An interaction through a Perspex (or equivalent) screen with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 is not usually considered to be a contact, as long as there has been no other contact such as those in the list above.

5. What to do if you are a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19

If you are informed by NHS Test and Trace that you are a contact of someone who has had a positive LFD or PCR test result for COVID-19, you are legally required to stay at home and self-isolate unless you meet one of the following conditions:

• you are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated means you have had 2 doses of an approved vaccine such as Pfizer BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Spikevax (formerly Moderna); you are also fully vaccinated if you have had one dose of the single-dose Janssen vaccine
• you are aged under 18 years old
• you have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial
• you are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons

If you are not legally required to self-isolate, follow the guidance below for contacts who are not required to self-isolate.

If you are 18 years old you will be treated in the same way as those under 18 up until the age of 18 years and 6 months, to allow you time to become fully vaccinated.

You may also be informed by the NHS Test and Trace app that you are a contact of someone who has had a positive LFD or PCR test result for COVID-19. In this case you should follow the advice provided within the app.

6. Contacts who are legally required to self-isolate

If you notified by NHS Test and Trace that you are a contact of someone who has had a positive LFD or PCR test result for COVID-19, and you are aged over 18 years and not fully vaccinated, you are legally required to self-isolate. This does not apply if you have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial or you are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons.

Self-isolation means you must stay at home and not leave the house. Do not go to work, school, or public areas, and do not use public transport or taxis. There is further information on how to self-isolate later in this guidance. Do not go outside even to buy food or other essentials, except in certain specific circumstances. Any exercise must be taken within your home, garden or private outdoor space.

Ask friends or relatives to help with buying groceries, other shopping or picking up medication, or walking a dog. You can also order your shopping online and medication by phone or online. Delivery drivers should not come into your home, so make sure you ask them to leave items outside for collection.

6.1 How long do I need to self-isolate for

If you are legally required to self-isolate, your isolation period includes the date of your last contact with the person who has a positive LFD or PCR test result for COVID-19, and the next 10 full days. This means that if, for example, your last contact with them was at any time on the 15th of the month your isolation period ends at 23:59 on the 25th.

6.2 Arrange to have a PCR test during your isolation period

You are advised to take a single PCR test as soon as possible while you are self-isolating as a contact. You should take this PCR test because you are at a higher risk of being infected. If your PCR test result is positive this will help NHS Test and Trace to quickly contact people who may have caught the virus from you. They can then be advised on how they can protect other people.

If your PCR test result during your isolation period is negative, you must continue to self-isolate as you could still become infectious and pass the infection onto others. Stay at home for your full isolation period to avoid putting others at risk.

If your PCR test result is positive, follow the stay at home guidance for people who have tested positive for COVID-19, and start a further isolation period. This new isolation period begins from when you took the PCR test, regardless of where you are in your original 10 day isolation period. This means that your total isolation period may be longer than 10 days.

If you have previously tested positive for COVID-19, you will probably have developed some immunity to the disease. However, it cannot be guaranteed that everyone will develop immunity, or how long it will last. It is possible for PCR tests to remain positive for some time after COVID-19 infection.

If you have previously received a positive COVID-19 PCR test result within the last 90 days and you are identified as a contact of someone with COVID-19 you should not take a PCR test. You should only take a PCR test if you develop any of the main symptoms of COVID-19.

6.3 Considerations for your household while you are self-isolating

If you are legally required to self-isolate because you are not fully vaccinated and you are a contact of someone with COVID-19 who you do not live with , your household does not need to self-isolate with you. People in your household should take extra care to follow the guidance on how to stay safe and help to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is very important that they follow this advice even if you are feeling well, as symptoms can take up to 10 days to appear from your last contact with the person who has tested positive for COVID-19, and it is possible to pass on infection even if you do not have symptoms.

Not all these measures will be possible if you, or those you are living with, have conditions such as learning disabilities, autism or serious mental illness. Please keep following this guidance to the best of your ability, while keeping yourself and those close to you safe and well, ideally in line with any existing care plans.

Staying at home for a prolonged period can be difficult, frustrating and lonely for some people. The Every Mind Matters website contains information and tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.

If you are identified as a contact of someone with COVID-19 and you are told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, or advised to do so by the NHS COVID-19 app, you may be entitled to a payment of £500 from your local authority under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme. You may also be eligible for this payment if you are the parent or guardian of a child who has been told to self-isolate.

You could be fined if you do not stay at home and self-isolate if you are notified by NHS Test and Trace that you need to self-isolate.

6.4 What to do if you develop any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 during your isolation period

If you are legally required to self-isolate because you are a contact of someone with COVID-19 and you develop any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 during your isolation period, stay at home and arrange to have a PCR test.

As soon as your symptoms start, you and anyone in your household should follow the Stay at home: Guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19. If your PCR test result is positive, you and your household should continue to follow the Stay at home guidance.

If your PCR test result is negative, then you must still complete the full 10 days of self-isolation, as you could still develop COVID-19. Continue to follow this guidance.

If someone that you live with develops any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 during your isolation period, they will need to self-isolate and take a PCR test. You and your household should follow the Stay at home guidance.

6.5 Symptoms after your isolation period has ended

If you develop any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 after your 10 day isolation period has ended, stay at home, and arrange to have a PCR test. If your PCR test result is positive, follow the Stay at home guidance. You must start a new self-isolation period. This begins when your symptoms started.

7. Contacts who are not legally required to self- isolate

If you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you are not legally required to self-isolate if you are fully vaccinated or you are below the age of 18 years. You are also not legally required to self-isolate if you have taken part in or are currently part of an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial or you are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons.

COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of you becoming severely ill if you catch COVID-19. If you are vaccinated against COVID-19 you may still catch it and pass it on to others, even if you do not have any symptoms.

If you have had contact with someone who has COVID-19 you are at higher risk of becoming infected yourself. If you are not legally required to self-isolate, you are strongly advised to take daily LFD tests for 7 days.

LFD tests are very good at identifying people who have high levels of coronavirus and are most likely to pass on infection to others, even if you do not have symptoms. You are therefore strongly advised to take daily LFD tests during the period you are at highest risk of becoming infected yourself.

If you are aged 5 years and over and have been identified as a contact of someone with COVID-19, but are not legally required to self-isolate, you are strongly advised to:

• take an LFD test every day for 7 days, or until 10 days since your last contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19 if this is earlier
• take this daily test before you leave the household for the first time that day

If you have been informed by NHS Test and Trace that you are a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 but they have not been able to tell you the date you had contact with this person, you should take an LFD test every day for 7 days.

If you take an LFD test and the result is positive, you should immediately self-isolate to prevent you from passing the infection on to other people and follow the Stay at home guidance. You should start a new self-isolation period, starting from the date the positive test was taken.

If your LFD test result is negative, it is likely that you were not infectious at the time when the test was taken. To further reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 on to others, you are strongly advised to:

• limit close contact with people outside your household, especially in crowded, enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces
• work from home if you are able to
• wear a face covering in crowded, enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces and where you are in close contact with other people
• limit contact with anyone who is at higher risk of severe illness if infected with COVID- 19
• follow the guidance on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread

Follow this advice for the 10 days after your most recent contact with the person who has tested positive for COVID-19.

If you are a health or social care worker who has been identified as a close contact and are exempt from self-isolation, there is additional guidance available that you should follow to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 in these settings.

Children and young people aged under 18 years who usually attend an education or childcare setting and who have been identified as a close contact should continue to attend the setting as normal.

Regular LFD tests are not recommended for children aged under 5. If they live with someone who has COVID-19 they are not legally required to self-isolate, but you should limit their contact with anyone who is at higher risk of severe illness if infected with COVID-19.

If you develop any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 at any time, even if these are mild, self-isolate immediately, arrange to have a COVID-19 PCR test and follow the guidance for people with COVID-19 symptoms.

7.1 I think I have had contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, but I have not been notified and advised to self-isolate. What should I do?

Contacts who need to self-isolate will usually be notified and advised to do so by NHS Test and Trace, including by the NHS COVID-19 app. If you believe that you are a contact of someone with COVID-19 but have not yet been notified by NHS Test and Trace, you should carefully follow the guidance on how to stay safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19. In these circumstances you can arrange to take LFD tests every day for 7 days or until 10 days since your last contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19 if this is earlier, even if you do not have symptoms. This is because you may be at higher risk of being infected.

7.2 I think I have been in close contact with someone who is being tested for COVID-19, but they do not yet have a test result. What should I do?

If you believe that you are a contact of someone with COVID-19 who has not received their test result yet, you should carefully follow the guidance on how to stay safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19. At this stage, you do not need to self-isolate.

Contacts who need to self-isolate will usually be notified and advised to do so by NHS Test and Trace, including by the NHS COVID-19 app. If you believe that you are a contact of someone with COVID-19 but have not yet been notified by NHS Test and Trace, you should carefully follow the guidance on how to stay safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19 until they receive their test result.

If you are concerned that you may have symptoms of COVID-19, or you live with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19, follow the Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19.

7.3 Practise good hand and respiratory hygiene and keep your home well ventilated

Everyone should practise good hand and respiratory hygiene.

Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser, particularly after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose and before you eat or handle food. Clean your hands frequently and avoid touching your face.

Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissues when you cough or sneeze. If you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow, not into your hand.

Dispose of tissues into a rubbish bag and immediately wash your hands.

Keep indoor areas well-ventilated with fresh air, especially shared living areas. To increase the flow of air you can:

• open windows as much as possible
• open doors
• make sure that any vents are open and airflow is not blocked
• leave extractor fans (for example in bathrooms) running for longer than usual with the door closed after use

You can find more advice on reducing the risks from COVID-19 in your home at GermDefence.

7.4 Financial or other practical support

Self-isolation is one of the most important things we can do to help stop the spread of the virus and protect our friends and family, our community and the NHS. If you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, have received a positive LFD or PCR test result, or have been told you are a contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, self-isolation is the best way to reduce the risk of passing it on to others. If you are told to isolate, you should do so straight away. Find out what support you can get if you’re affected by COVID-19.

If you can, ask friends, family or neighbours to go out and get food and other essentials for you. If you do not have others to help you, there may be charities or community groups who can help in your area or your local shops, markets and wholesalers may offer a delivery service (by phone or by email).

Check if your neighbourhood or local community has a volunteer system that could help bring you supplies or provide other support. Ask friends or family to drop off anything you need or order supplies online or by phone, making sure these are left outside your home for you to collect.

The NHS Volunteer Responders programme is still available to help support those who need it. Volunteers can collect and deliver shopping, medication and other essential supplies and can also provide a regular friendly phone call. Call 0808 196 3646 between 8am and 8pm, 7 days a week to self-refer or visit NHS Volunteer Responders for further information. There may also be other voluntary or community services in your local area that you can access for support.

If you are unable to work due to COVID-19, see guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions to find out about support available to you. You may be entitled to a one-off payment of £500 through the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme if you are required to stay at home and self-isolate. You may also be entitled to this payment if you are the parent or guardian of a child who has been told to self-isolate. You can apply for the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment online or through the NHS COVID-19 app.

You will be eligible for this payment if you live in England and NHS Test and Trace has told you to self-isolate, or the NHS COVID-19 app has advised you to self-isolate.

You will also be required to meet all the following criteria:

• you are employed or self-employed
• you cannot work from home and will lose income as a result

• you are claiming at least one of the following benefits:

  • Universal Credit
  • Working Tax Credits
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit or Housing Benefit

Visit your local authority’s website for more information on the help and support that is available to you.

8. Additional support from local authorities for those who lead a nomadic way of life

People who live on a traveller site, in a vehicle or on a canal boat may require additional support.

Let your site manager or local Gypsy and Traveller liaison team know if you need further support. If you are living on a river or canal, find out what advice is being offered by the organisation who manages the waterway you live on, as this varies for each one. Try to communicate by phone as much as possible to prevent spreading the virus to further contacts.

If you lack access to basic facilities such as water, sanitation and waste disposal to help with self-isolation, contact your local authority for assistance. They may be able to provide you with additional facilities or make alternative stopping places available.

The prevailing laws against unauthorised encampments or unauthorised development remain in place.

Waste should continue to be disposed of through authorised and legal means. Guidance for local authorities on re-opening or keeping household waste and recycling centres open is available. If you need further advice, contact your local authority.

If you are stopping or cruising in rural or isolated areas, take note of your location if you moor or pull up, especially if you are feeling unwell. You can also use the what3words app if there is a medical emergency and you need services to come to you.