When can I kiss my partner after COVID?

What does the CDC rule say, step by step?

CDC's guidance for when you are sick with a respiratory virus like COVID is based on how you feel, not on a fixed number of days, and you do not need a test to go back to normal activities.

Kissing is not named in the guidance. But the precautions it asks for in those 5 days, like a mask and physical distance, do not fit with kissing. So the plain reading is: no kissing until the 5 days are done.

• While you are sick: stay home and away from others, including people you live with who are not sick.
• Back to normal activities: when, for at least 24 hours, your symptoms are getting better overall and you have had no fever without using fever-reducing medicine. Both have to be true.
• The next 5 days: take added precautions, such as cleaner air, good hygiene, a well-fitted mask, physical distance, and testing before you spend time with other people.
• After those 5 days: CDC says you are typically much less likely to be contagious.

Why not kiss as soon as I feel better?

Feeling better is not the same as being clear. CDC says that at the 24-hour mark you are typically less contagious, but it still takes more time for your body to get rid of the virus.

COVID spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that carry the virus. Others catch it by breathing those in, or when they land on the eyes, nose or mouth. Kissing puts your faces right next to each other, so it gives the virus an easy path.

After the 5 days of precautions, CDC says most people are much less likely to be contagious, but people with a weakened immune system can keep spreading the virus for longer.

What can we do together during the 5 days?

You do not have to act like strangers. The goal is to cut down on face-to-face, close-range time while you may still be shedding virus.

• Spend time in a room with fresh air, or outside, instead of a closed bedroom.
• Wear a well-fitted mask when you are close to each other.
• Wash your hands often and clean surfaces you both touch.
• Save kissing and other face-to-face contact for after the 5 days.
• If you live together and cannot stay fully apart, CDC suggests using extra prevention tools at home.

Does a negative test mean I can kiss sooner?

Not on its own. You do not need a test to go back to normal activities. Testing is one of the optional precautions for times when you will be around other people.

A negative test helps, but it is not proof. CDC says a single negative antigen test cannot rule out infection. FDA recommends 2 negative antigen tests 48 hours apart if you have symptoms, or 3 tests 48 hours apart if you do not.

If you tested positive but never had symptoms, CDC still advises 5 days of added precautions, since you may be contagious.

What if my partner is high risk?

CDC says the 5 days of precautions are especially important to protect people at higher risk of severe illness. With a high-risk partner, it is reasonable to wait longer than 5 days, or to test before close contact, and to ask their clinician what they advise.

People who are immunocompromised can shed the virus for a long time. If you are the one with a weak immune system, the general timeline may not apply to you, so ask your own clinician.

• Older adults, who are at highest risk
• People who are pregnant
• People with a weakened immune system, including those on chemotherapy, organ transplant medicines, or long-term steroids
• People with conditions such as chronic lung, heart, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, or obesity

What if my symptoms come back?

If you get a fever or start to feel worse after going back to normal activities, CDC says to stay home and away from others again. That means the kissing plan resets too: wait for another 24 hours of improving symptoms with no fever, then another 5 days of precautions.

CDC calls a return of symptoms or a new positive test 3 to 7 days after recovering a rebound. It can happen whether or not you took an antiviral like Paxlovid. Rebound is usually mild and clears in a few days. Talk to a healthcare provider if you think you have it.