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I am twice vaxed and twice boosted. 58 years old. I have covid for the first time. Today is day 5 since symptoms and positive test. I am taking paxlovid, I have 3 doses left. I do feel better, most symptoms have faded, but I am still oddly tired and groggy. I'm up and around as much as I can be. My question: when am I safe to be around my 84 year old mother? How long do I need to wear a mask around others to avoid exposing them? ( I have been isolating)
Since you are still experiencing some symptoms and have remaining doses of Paxlovid, I would continue your time of isolation, at minimum, until you complete Paxlovid. Beware that we have observed that some people may experience a “rebound” of their infection around 5 days after completion of Paxlovid; this rebound is associated with abrupt return of symptoms and the shedding of virus that can be spread to others. If you have the rebound effect then you will need to return back to isolation for another period of 5 days minimum but it is preferred that isolation be determined by testing negative because a person may be asymptomatic but still shedding virus that can infect others. Therefore, I would suggest that you use at-home rapid antigen tests to determine if you are negative upon completion of your course of Paxlovid and/or to determine termination of isolation. Wearing of a good mask will still be important upon emerging from isolation, when in public indoor spaces.
