As the number of coronavirus cases in Illinois and across the country continues to increase before the Christmas and New Year holidays, so do questions about how long someone may be infected or need to be isolated.

The following are guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on isolation, isolation, and contact schedules.

According to the CDC, COVID symptoms can appear 2 to 14 days after someone is exposed to the virus.

Anyone with symptoms should be tested for COVID.

It is recommended that those who have been fully vaccinated and those around with COVID-19 be tested within three to five days after exposure.

People with symptoms should be tested as their symptoms develop, but if the test results are negative and the symptoms persist, another test may be required a few days later, especially for people who use home test kits.

"So if someone has symptoms and the test result is negative, then it depends on the severity, right? If you have severe symptoms, we don't want you to only be tested at home," said Dr. Nimmi Rajagopal, Cook County Healthy Families And the deputy director of the Department of Community Medicine. "We want you to call your doctor's office to make sure they have opinions here, because of course there are other things, such as flu, that can mimic symptoms or have similar symptoms. But if you have symptoms, they're kind of gentle and swaying. If not, you use [at home] and the test result is negative. We hope you take precautions and retest within three to five days. That’s why most of these kits actually come with two tests."

People with COVID-19 are considered contagious starting two days before the onset of symptoms, and if they have no symptoms, they are considered contagious starting two days before they test positive.

First, those who think they have been in contact with people who have been infected with COVID and have not been vaccinated should be isolated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who test positive must be isolated regardless of their vaccination status.

Those who have accumulated at least 15 minutes within 6 feet of a COVID patient within 24 hours should stay at home for 14 days after the last contact with the person and observe symptoms. If possible, quarantined people should also stay away from those who live with them, especially those who are at increased risk of more severe COVID disease.

CDC's guidance states that if symptoms appear within the isolation window, immediately isolate and contact a healthcare provider.

According to the CDC, those who are fully vaccinated do not need to be isolated, but regardless of symptoms, they should be tested within 5 to 7 days after exposure.

However, local health authorities can also ultimately decide how long the quarantine should last. Testing can make a difference.

For example, in Chicago, those who travel to and from certain parts of the country who have not been vaccinated must be quarantined after arriving in Chicago, but the length of time they should be quarantined depends on whether they have been tested for COVID.

The city’s travel advice recommends that those traveling from designated warning states must:

The Illinois Department of Health stated:

"Due to the risk of serious illness and cluster transmission, IDPH recommends a full 14-day quarantine period, rather than the aforementioned shortened option in a clustered living environment with vulnerable groups, such as skilled nursing and correctional facilities," Illinois Public The department’s health status is on its website.

For schools, guidance is different. Among these settings, the IDPH guidelines state:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are positive for COVID should stay at home until they can be safely with other people, even other members of the family.

If possible, health officials recommend providing a "ward" or area for the infected person and a separate bathroom.

So how do you calculate your 10-day quarantine period?

According to the CDC, “Day 0 is the first day you have symptoms.” This means that day 1 is the first day after you have symptoms.

For people who test positive for COVID but have no symptoms, day 0 is the day they test positive. However, those who develop symptoms after testing positive must restart the calculation, and then day 0 becomes the first day of symptoms.

When should you call the doctor?

The CDC urges those who have or may have COVID-19 to heed the emergency warning signs and seek medical attention immediately when the following symptoms appear:

"This list is not all possible symptoms," said the CDC. "If you have any other serious or related symptoms, please call your healthcare provider."

You can also notify the operator that you think you or someone you care for has COVID.

Those who test positive at home are required to follow the latest CDC guidelines and communicate the results to their healthcare provider, who is responsible for reporting the test results to the state health department.

However, the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, Dr. Allison Arwady, said that it is unlikely that this process will happen every time the test is performed.

"In fact, none of these negative effects have been reported," Arwady said. "We did not calculate, you know, this is a fictitious story that we have calculated every COVID test."

She added that although many home tests are not reported, positive results may be provided to health care providers and then to the health department.

If you have symptoms, CDC says you can be with other people if you meet the following criteria:

However, the CDC stated that these recommendations do not apply to people with severe COVID or a weakened immune system.

If your test result is positive but there are no symptoms during isolation, the CDC says:

The CDC stated that for those with severe illness or weakened immune systems, it is recommended to stay at home for up to 20 days after the first symptoms appear, but people in this group should talk to their healthcare provider before making a decision .

The CDC website states: “People with weakened immune systems may need to be tested to determine when they can be with other people.” “Contact your healthcare provider for more information.”