Self-isolation

Self-isolation

This guidance may change and people are advised to check often to keep up-to-date with the latest advice.

Self-isolation guidance

This guidance applies to those with symptoms and household members of those with symptoms, regardless of whether a test result is positive or negative.

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus. 

You must self-isolate if you or anyone else in your household have coronavirus symptoms:

• a temperature of more than 37.8C (100F) 
• OR, a new and persistent cough - this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• OR, anosmia – this is the loss of or a change in your normal sense of smell. It can also affect your sense of taste as the two are closely linked

Guidance for everyone

Anyone developing symptoms:

    Must not leave your home for any reason

    Must not go out to buy food or collect medicine – order them by phone or online, or ask someone else to drop them off at your home

    YOU CAN  continue to use your garden, if you have one

You must then seek clinical advice using the online self-assessment to determine whether you need to call the COVID 111 helpline.

Anyone with symptoms should then self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the onset of symptoms, regardless of whether the test result is positive or negative. For further advice see: testing and results.

If the test result is positive, your details will then be passed onto the Public Health Contact Tracing Service so any contacts can be followed up and advised.

If your symptoms worsen during self-isolation or are no better after 14 days, contact your GP/MEDS. For a medical emergency dial 999. 

You can still continue to spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.

If you live with someone who is displaying symptoms, but you do not have symptoms yourself

You can:

     go out for exercise, making sure you stay 2 metres away from people outside your household

     continue to use your garden, if you have one. 

You must not:

     leave your home to go shopping

     leave your home to do any recreation or leisure activities

     go to see your doctor for medical appointments unless he or she says you must attend

     go to work

     take your child under 18 to their other parent’s house where they don’t live in the same household

     go to another person’s house to provide care for them

     take public transport

     take taxis

     gather with people from outside your household

     go to see friends or family at their home

     allow your children to gather in groups with other children

     see people who are classed as vulnerable or very vulnerable

If you then develop symptoms you must also then seek clinical advice using the online assessment to determine whether you need to call the COVID 111 helpline.

    You must not leave your home for any reason

    You must not go out to buy food or collect medicine – order them by phone or online, or ask someone else to drop them off at your home 

You must then self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the onset of symptoms, regardless of whether the test result is positive or negative.

If the test result is positive, your details will be passed onto the Public Health Contact Tracing Service so any contacts can be followed up and advised. 

Do not leave your place of residence; stay at home.

Stay-at-home guidance for households: 
current guidelines illustrated

Criteria and guidance applied as of 17/03/2020:

Incubation period = maximum 14 days.

Day 1 is the first day of symptoms.

The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the household became ill.

If you live with others and you are the first in the household to have symptoms of coronavirus, then you must stay at home for 14 days.

If anyone else in the household starts displaying symptoms, they stay at home for 14 days from when their symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14-day isolation period.

Household members who remain well stay in self-isolation for 14 days due to maximum incubation period, calculated from day 1 of the first symptomatic person in that household.

Household members do not need to restart the clock if other members become symptomatic during the 14 days self-isolation.

If you have tested positive for coronavirus and you have reached the end of your 14 day isolation period then you no longer need to isolate even if other members of your household are symptomatic.

Whilst you are ill, arrange for all food, medical and other supplies to be delivered to your home and ensure that the delivery driver does not enter your home.

You can still continue to spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.

Example Household 1

      When illness started, first day of symptoms

      Allowed to go out again

Example Household 2

      When illness started, first day of symptoms

      Allowed to go out again

Exiting isolation

When you have completed 14 days’ isolation from the onset of symptoms you can return to normal activities/work (within limits of current government policy, e.g. guidance about social distancing and stay at home guidance). You do not need to check with anybody or be checked by anybody.

Some people will still have a dry cough at that time but so long as you feel well and your temperature is back to normal, you are fine to end isolation. If you still have a temperature, you should remain at home and it should go down over a couple of days.

If your symptoms worsen during self-isolation or are no better after 14 days, contact your GP/MEDS. For a medical emergency dial 999. 

Once you have recovered please then continue to follow the stay-at-home guidance for everyone on the Isle of Man.

Laundry

Wash items in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest water setting and dry items completely. Dirty laundry that has been in contact with an unwell person can be washed with other people’s items.

Do not shake dirty laundry, this minimises the possibility of dispersing the virus through the air.

Clean and disinfect anything used for transporting laundry with your usual products, in line with the cleaning guidance above.

Personal waste

Personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths can be stored securely within disposable rubbish bags. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual external household waste bin.

Other household waste can be disposed of as normal.

For further details see COVID-19 Guidance for Cleaning in non-healthcare settings.