Guidance

Mpox: isolating at home guidance

Published 19 June 2025

Applies to England

Who this guidance is for

This guidance is for you if you:

• have been diagnosed with mpox and have been advised to isolate at home after being discharged from hospital
• have been diagnosed with mpox and have been advised to isolate at home (without having been admitted to hospital)
• are waiting for an mpox test or test result and have been advised to isolate by your doctor

Following the advice in this guidance will help to prevent the spread of mpox to others. This will protect the health of your family, friends, and anyone else that you may have contact with.

If you are waiting for mpox test results

If you have been advised by your doctor to isolate while you are waiting for mpox test results you should stay at home and follow this isolation guidance. You should continue isolating until you get your test results.

If your test is negative:

• you no longer need to follow this guidance and can stop isolating
• you should continue to follow any other guidance for contacts that you previously received

About mpox

Mpox is a usually mild disease that is caused by a virus called MPXV. Most people with mpox recover within weeks without treatment, although severe illness can occur in some people.

Children aged under 5, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system may be more at risk of becoming severely unwell.

Mpox usually starts with symptoms such as:

• fever (a high temperature)
• headache
• muscle aches
• backache
• swollen glands
• chills
• exhaustion
• joint pain
• rash

A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms and can be on any part of the body. The rash eventually forms scabs which later fall off. The symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks.

Images of individual mpox lesions

How mpox spreads

Mpox is usually spread through close contact with someone who has mpox, or their bodily fluids. It may spread through:

• touching the rash, skin lesions (spots, blisters or ulcers) or scabs of someone with mpox (including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or other skin-to-skin contact)
• contact with the body fluids such as saliva, snot, mucus, blood, or semen of someone with mpox
• contact with clothing or linens (such as bedding or towels) or other objects and surfaces used by someone with mpox
• prolonged face-to-face contact such as talking or breathing, coughing or sneezing. There is currently limited evidence about this, so advice will be updated as new information is available

More information about mpox can be found here: Mpox: background information.

If you need medical advice

If you have been asked to isolate, your medical team will have given you their contact details. Use these if you have any concerns and to get urgent medical help if your symptoms get worse.

Postpone any non-essential medical or dental treatment while you are isolating. For essential treatment, contact your healthcare provider and tell them that you are isolating because you have mpox, or are waiting for test results for mpox. They will advise if your treatment can go ahead or if you need to make alternative arrangements.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, contact your midwife, health visitor or obstetrician for advice.

In an emergency, call 999. Tell the operator you have mpox or might have mpox, and if you know it, tell them which type (clade I or II).

How to isolate safely at home

This isolation guidance is specific to mpox and has different advice from other isolation guidance you may have seen before (such as for COVID-19).

If you have mpox or you are waiting for a test result, and you have been advised to isolate, you should take the actions below to reduce your contact with other people and to help stop mpox from spreading.

Stay at home and keep away from others who do not live with you

You should stay at home.

You should not go to work, school, shops, or any other public areas.

If you need groceries, medication or any other essentials, ask friends or family with help collecting these, or order them online.

If you need to leave your home for any reason, you should stay at least 1 metre (3 steps) away from others, even when you are outside, and wear a surgical face mask at all times. See section below on ‘if you need to leave your home’ for further information.

You should not have visitors to your home - this includes friends and family.

Friends, family, and delivery drivers should leave items outside your home and should not come inside - they should not touch anything that you have touched.

Keep your distance from the people you live with

The people who are most likely to catch mpox from you are the people that you live with and the people you have sex with. You should avoid close contact (including skin-to-skin contact) with other people in your household, and avoid sexual contact with other people to reduce to reduce the chance of passing mpox onto them.

Take the following actions to reduce the possibility of passing mpox to others in your household.

If possible, sleep in a separate room and do not share a bed or bedding with anyone. Sharing a bed with someone may increase the chance that they catch mpox from you, as you might have skin-to-skin contact without realising while you are asleep. The virus can also get onto your bedding while you are asleep, and so someone sharing a bed or bedding with you could also catch mpox that way.

Do not have any intimate contact, including:

• kissing
• cuddling
• sexual activity
• any skin-to-skin contact

Use a separate bathroom if possible. If you have to share a bathroom, follow the bathroom cleaning instructions in the Mpox: cleaning your house while you are isolating guidance.

Use your own personal items, such as:

• toothbrush
• towels
• washcloths
• plates, cups and cutlery

Eat in a separate room if possible.

Ask others to bring meals to you.

Do not share food or drinks.

Wash your own dishes.

If possible, do not share computers or any other equipment with others in your household. If you do have to share a computer or other equipment, clean it after you use it. Further information is available in the Mpox: cleaning your house while you are isolating guidance.

Avoid spreading mpox particles to surfaces within your home

Follow these steps to help to stop mpox virus particles spreading to bedding and other surfaces within your household:

• keep all rashes and skin lesions completely covered by wearing long-sleeved tops, full-length trousers, and full-length pyjamas when sleeping
• cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissues when you cough or sneeze – put used tissues straight into your household waste, then clean your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or clean with alcohol hand rub if your hands are not visibly dirty
• clean your hands frequently throughout the day, by washing with soap and water for 20 seconds or clean with alcohol hand rub if not visibly dirty – use a separate soap or alcohol hand rub and hand towel from the rest of your household

Reduce the risk of spreading mpox when using shared spaces 

If you need to spend time in the same room as someone in your household:

• follow the advice above on avoiding spreading mpox particles on surfaces within your home
• stay at least 1 metre (3 steps) away from them
• wear a surgical face mask that covers your nose and mouth. Make sure that you only touch the straps of the mask when taking it off. Dispose of the mask after use in your usual household waste. Do not reuse surgical face masks
• open windows for ventilation where possible
• avoid any physical contact with other people

If you have your own private garden or balcony, it is fine to use it. Fresh air and outside space may help you feel better. However, you should still keep at least 1 metre (3 steps) away from others while using outside space.

Self-isolating with children in the household  

If you have been told to isolate and cannot do so separately from children you live with, or if your child has mpox, please take the following steps wherever possible, while ensuring the child is safe and well:

• minimise skin contact with your children as much as you can
• keep your towels separate from your children’s towels. This will help to prevent your children from accidentally sharing towels with other people in the household
• wear single-use disposable gloves if you have lesions or a rash on your hands when touching your child
• wear single-use disposable gloves if you have to touch areas of a child’s skin where there are lesions or a rash

Note: gloves should not be reused and should be discarded in the household waste.

Children who are isolating should always be given the care and contact they need to ensure their wellbeing.

Cleaning your home

Keeping your home clean during your isolation period is one of the best ways to prevent spreading mpox to your family and friends. To find out how to do this read the Mpox: cleaning your house while you are isolating guidance.

Pets

If you have pets, it is possible that you could pass mpox on to them if you have contact with them while you have symptoms of mpox. If your pet catches mpox, they could also spread it to other people in your household.  

Pet rats and mice are thought to be more likely to become infected with mpox than other pet species. If you have a pet rodent, keep it in a cage for 21 days from the first day you developed symptoms. You and others in your household should avoid touching it for this period. If your rodent has any symptoms of an infection, you should contact your vet to discuss testing for mpox.

If you have another species of mammalian pet (for example cat, dog, ferret), you should keep them within your household as far as possible for 21 days from the first day you developed symptoms of mpox. Check your pet for symptoms of infection, and if they develop any symptoms, call your vet for advice.

If you need to leave your home

You should stay at home unless absolutely necessary, and only leave for: 

• emergencies
• urgent medical appointments
• critical health and wellbeing reasons

If it is essential for you to leave your home:

• wear a surgical face mask at all times 
• cover all skin lesions or rashes completely with long-sleeved tops, full-length trousers, scarves, or bandages for exposed areas
• keep trips as short as possible
• avoid touching surfaces unnecessarily

If you leave your home and use your car while you are isolating, there is information available on how to clean your car in the mpox isolation cleaning guidance.

Ending isolation   

As the symptoms of mpox take a few weeks to clear up, you may need to stay home for a few weeks until you can end your isolation.

If you have been diagnosed with mpox there are 2 stages to ending your isolation period at home: ending self-isolation, and fully returning to your normal activities (full de-isolation).

Ending self-isolation

When self-isolation ends, you do not need to isolate away from other people in your household, unless they are pregnant, aged under 5 or have a weakened immune system (see below). You can also leave your household, but you should continue to keep any remaining lesions on your body covered up when you are in contact with other people and when you leave the house.

You can end your self-isolation period when:

• you have had no new lesions for at least 48 hours
• you have no lesions in your mouth
• all of your lesions have scabbed over
• all of your lesions on your face, arms, hands, and other skin that is not covered by your clothes have scabbed over, the scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath

You should contact your medical team to discuss your symptoms and confirm that you can stop self-isolating. You should not stop self-isolating until they confirm that it is safe for you to do so.

If you live with someone who is at higher risk from severe illness (pregnant women, children aged under 5 or people who have a weakened immune system), you will still need to avoid contact with them until you meet the criteria for full de-isolation below. If your work involves contact with someone who is at risk from severe illness, you should speak to your employer before returning to work.

Full de-isolation  

You can resume your full normal activities with no restrictions when:

• you have had no new lesions for at least 48 hours
• you have not got any lesions on your mucous membranes (your mouth, nostrils, eyelids, ears, genitals or anus)
• all of your lesions have scabbed over, all scabs have dropped off, and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath

When you meet all these conditions, you should contact your medical team to check whether you can stop isolating. You should not stop isolating until they confirm that it is safe for you to do so.

Cleaning your house at the end of your isolation period

Once you have stopped isolating you will need to clean and disinfect your house to minimise the chance of passing your infection on to other people as the virus can survive on surfaces for several weeks.      

To find out how to do this read the Mpox: ending mpox isolation cleaning guidance.

Resuming sexual activity

While you are self-isolating, you should avoid all close contact with other people, including sexual activity, to reduce the risk of passing the infection on.

It is not known how long the mpox virus remains present in semen and other genital fluids. If you wish to resume sexual activity after your self-isolation has ended, you should use a condom for 12 weeks after your lesions or rash have scabbed over and the scabs have fallen off. Using a condom will reduce the risk of you spreading mpox to the person you are having sex with.

Sources of support when isolating

Isolating can be difficult and may have an impact on your wellbeing. There are organisations who provide support and information that can help.

If you cannot work while you are isolating, find out if you might be eligible for financial support if you cannot work.

Children and young people (or their parents or carers) should stay in touch with their early years or educational setting who will be able to provide additional support for welfare and education.

The charity Mind provides information and support for adults and young people, including a Mental Health support line: 0300 102 1234 (9am to 6pm Monday to Friday (except bank holidays).

Whatever you are going through, you can talk to someone at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the following numbers:

• call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK-wide)
• text SHOUT to 85258 (UK-wide)
• call C.A.L.L. on 0800 132 737 (Wales only)

For children there is free, confidential advice and support for any child 18 years or under, whatever the worry, at Childline 0800 1111.

If it is an emergency or you need urgent help, always call 999.

If you call any of these numbers it is important to tell the person you are speaking to that you are isolating at home because you have mpox or are waiting for mpox test results.