People with COVID-19 disease are most contagious during the first 5 days of illness. But that actually means they're most contagious between 1 and 2 days before symptoms appear and up to 2 or 3 days after symptoms start. If you test positive for COVID-19, guidance says you should stay home for at least five days and be isolated from other people in your household. You're likely to be most contagious during these first five days.
CDC guidelines indicate that patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 are likely to no longer be contagious about 10 days after the onset of symptoms. However, people who are seriously ill may have a longer infectious period, and the agency recommends extending the isolation period to at least 10 days and up to 20 days.
