COVID-19 is caused by a virus. It is spread through respiratory secretions (mucous and droplets
from coughs and sneezes) from an infected person and can cause serious illness such as
pneumonia (lung infection), and in some rare cases, death.
This information sheet provides you with information about what to do and not to do while you
are in quarantine. If you have questions after reading this, you can call your local Board of
Health, or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health which is available 24/7 at 617-983-
6800.
During your quarantine period, you should not have visitors in your home. The other people who
live in your home can continue to do their normal activities as long as they are not in contact
with you, as described further below, and not also under quarantine. If you test positive for
COVID-19 and someone comes into contact with you that person might also then need to be
quarantined.
While you are in quarantine you should follow these instructions:
1. Do not leave your home except for urgent medical care. If you must leave your home for
urgent medical care, wear a mask, such as a surgical mask, if available. Call the
healthcare provider before you go and tell them that you are quarantined due to COVID-
19 exposure. For the protection of others, you should use a personal car or call an
ambulance to travel to your healthcare provider. Do not take public transportation,
ride shares (e.g. Uber or Lyft), or taxis under any circumstance.
2. Wear a mask, such as a surgical mask, if available, if you must be in contact with other
people. If not available try to maintain a distance of six feet from others; when this is not
possible, limit your time being closer to people to five minutes or less.
3. Do not have visitors in your home.
4. To the extent possible, stay six feet away from other people in your home. If absolutely
necessary, have one person help you and do not have contact with other people in your
home. Wear a mask, such as a surgical mask, if available when in the same room as that
person. If not available try to maintain a distance of six feet from others; when this is not
possible, limit your time being closer to people to five minutes or less.
5. If possible, use a separate bedroom and bathroom. Do not share towels or bed
sheets/blankets with other people in your home. Wash your laundry separately from the
laundry of other people in your home.
6. Do not share eating or drinking utensils. Wash utensils normally in a dishwasher or by
hand with warm water and soap.
7. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and throw tissues
away in a lined waste container. Then wash your hands.
8. Wash your hands frequently using soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time you
wash. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that
contains at least 60% alcohol.
Anyone you come in contact with (including anyone in your home) should:
1. Wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds often. If soap and water are
not available they should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60%
alcohol.
2. Wear a mask, if available, when they are in close contact with you if you cannot wear a
mask. They should be careful to only touch the parts of the mask that go around the ears
or behind the head. Do not touch the front of the mask. They should wash their hands
immediately after taking the mask off. If not available try to maintain a distance of six
feet from others; when this is not possible, limit your time being closer to people to five
minutes or less.
3. Wear disposable gloves if they have to have direct contact with your body fluids
(saliva/spit, mucous, urine, feces, vomit) or handle your dirty laundry. Remove the gloves
carefully without touching the outside of the gloves, throw the gloves away, and wash
their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
Anyone you come in contact with (including anyone in your home) should remain aware of
their health and watch themselves for:
a fever (temperature over 100.3 degrees).They should take their temperature in
the morning and at night.
other symptoms such as a cough, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chills,
stiff or sore muscles, headache, or diarrhea.
If anyone you come in contact with has any of these symptoms, contact the local health
department or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at the phone numbers
below.
If they need to seek medical care, they should call their healthcare provider before they go and
tell them that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
If they do not have any of the symptoms described above, they do not have to stay home and
instead may continue with their normal activities.
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Other advice to keep your germs from spreading:
1. Your gloves, tissues, masks and other trash should be put in a bag, tied closed, and put
with other household trash.
2. Your laundry may be done in a standard washing machine using warm water and
detergent. Bleach may be used but is not needed. Do not shake out the dirty laundry and
avoid having the dirty laundry touch anyone’s skin or clothing.
3. Surfaces in the home that you touch or that become dirty with your body fluids
(saliva/spit, mucous, urine, feces, vomit) should be cleaned and disinfected with a
household disinfectant according to the label directions. Wear gloves while cleaning.
4. Your bathroom should be cleaned every day using a household disinfectant according to
the directions on the label. Wear gloves while cleaning.
How long must you follow these instructions?
You will need to remain quarantined for at least 14 days from the date of last exposure. A public
health authority (MDPH or your local board of health) will be in contact with you daily and will
tell you when you can stop quarantining yourself. They will regularly re-assess you and will
determine if you still need to stay quarantined or if the risk of infection to others is low enough
that you can leave your home.
Questions?
Please call your healthcare provider, your local board of health or the Massachusetts Department
of Public Health with any questions.