Isolation quick guide

Applying to those aged greater than 3 months and up to 13th birthday
V1 .1 03.09.2020 

COVID-19 symptoms: Fever more than or equal to 38.0⁰C or new cough or shortness of breath or anosmia, dysguesia or ageusia*

Self-isolation means staying indoors and completely avoiding contact with other people. This includes other people in your household, as much as possible. It applies to people with proven or suspected COVID-19.

Restricting movement means avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible. It applies to those who are without symptoms but considered at higher risk of developing COVID-19 because they were exposed to a particular risk.

	Condition	Person	Others
1	Proven COVID-19	Self-isolate 14 days with last 5 days without a fever	Close contacts restrict movements for 14 days (after last contact with case)
2	COVID-19 symptoms, not tested	Self-isolate 14 days with last 5 days without a fever	Close contacts restrict movements for 14 days
3	COVID-19 symptoms awaiting test (this includes patients with samples reported as indeterminate/invalid until such time as repeat test is available or it has been determined that COVID-19 has been excluded on other grounds)	Self-isolate pending test result	Members of the household restrict movements pending test results
4	COVID-19 symptoms test result “Not Detected”	Follow medical advice. Restrict movement until 48 hours symptom free	Restrictions no longer needed
5	Some medical symptoms that may be COVID-19 related and awaiting medical assessment that day to determine if testing is required	Self-isolate pending assessment	No restrictions until medical assessment offers further direction.
6	Runny nose or other minor symptoms and ‘offform’, no fever equal to or greater than 38.0⁰C, no cough, no short of breath, NO ill household contacts or history of travel.	Keep home from school or childcare for a period of 48 hours to observe emerging condition.	No restrictions
7	Runny nose or other minor symptoms and ‘offform’, no fever equal to or greater than 38.0⁰C, no cough, no shortness of breath, but YES to history of travel or household members with symptoms of COVID-19	Self-isolate pending assessment	Members of the household restrict movements pending assessment
8	Runny nose, not unwell, good form, good energy and normal appetite, no fever, not requiring paracetamol, ibuprofen or any other antipyretic	Can go to school	No restrictions
9	No symptoms, close contact of a proven case	Restrict movements for 14 days, testing as advised.	No restrictions
10	Travel from non “Green-List” country	Restrict movements for 14 days, self-isolate and test if develops symptoms	No restrictions unless the person who has returned develops symptoms.

*loss of sense of smell, or loss of sense of taste or distortion of sense of taste

HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre www.hpsc.ie