After contracting COVID-19, you are generally contagious starting from about 48 hours (2 days) before symptoms begin or before you test positive if asymptomatic, and remain contagious until your symptoms resolve, which can be up to 10 days in most cases
. Key points on contagiousness duration include:
- Infectious period starts roughly 2 days before symptoms or positive test
- Most people are contagious for about 8 to 10 days after symptoms begin
- Some guidelines suggest isolation for at least 5 days, with contagiousness potentially lasting up to 10 days
- People with mild to moderate illness usually stop being contagious after 10 days if symptoms have improved and they have been fever-free for 24 hours
- Those who are severely ill or have weakened immune systems may remain contagious for 3 weeks or longer
- Even after isolation ends, wearing masks and avoiding high-risk individuals is advised until at least day 10 or 11
In summary, the typical contagious period for COVID-19 is from 2 days before symptoms start up to about 10 days after, with some variation depending on severity and immune status.
