(August 11, 2009)

New Recommendations for the Amount of Time Persons with Flu-Like Illness Should be Away from Others

CDC recommends that people with influenza-like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100° F [37.8°C]), or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. This is a change from the previous recommendation that ill persons stay home for seven days after illness onset or until 24 hours after the resolution of symptoms, whichever was longer. The new recommendation applies to camps, schools, businesses, mass gatherings, and other community settings where the majority of people are not at increased risk for influenza complications.

This guidance does not apply to health care settings where the exclusion period should be continued for seven days from symptom onset or until the resolution of symptoms, whichever is longer; see www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidelines_infection_control.htm for updates about the health care setting.

Please visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/exclusion.htm for more information about the recommendations.