Respiratory Virus Guidance

This guidance addresses common respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, flu, and RSV in the general population. It supersedes prior guidance, except for directions or orders issued by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) or the Maryland Department of Health (MDH).

MDH and the State Department of Education provide additional guidance for K-12 schools and child care settings.

These populations should continue to follow setting- and profession-specific recommendations, as well as other applicable state and federal orders and regulations:

Health care settings, including health care personnel, residents or patients residing in health care facilities,
Long-term care and other specific congregate living settings (including nursing homes, group homes, assisted living facilities, and congregate shelters),
Staff and residents of correctional and detention facilities, and
Where an employee’s absence would cause operational deficiencies in key services (e.g., fire, police, sheriffs, and corrections)

Resources

COVID-19 Health and Safety Procedures - Montgomery County Public Schools
Guidance Regarding COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Illnesses in K-12 Schools and Child Care (PDF) - updated March 2024, Maryland Department of Health and State Department of Education
Background for CDC’s updated respiratory virus guidance - U.S. CDC

Overview

Stay home and away from others, until for 24 hours BOTH:

Your symptoms are getting better, AND
You are fever-free (without medications)

Then, take added precaution for the next five days.

Download and share guidance summary infographic

Follow these core prevention strategies

Stay up to date with immunizations.
Practice good hygiene (practices that improve cleanliness).
Take steps for cleaner air.
Consider treatment, which may help lower your risk of severe illness.
Stay home and use precautions to prevent spread.

These additional prevention strategies can also help

Additional prevention strategies you can choose to further protect yourself and others include:

If you have respiratory virus symptoms that are not explained by another cause

Stay home and away from others.
When both of these are true for 24 hours, you can move to the next step:
- Your symptoms are improving overall, and
- You have not had a fever (without fever-reducing medicine).
Resume normal activities taking precaution for the next five days.

Precaution examples include taking additional steps for cleaner air and/or hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors.

If you test positive for a respiratory virus but have no symptoms

Take precaution for the next five days.

Precaution examples include taking additional steps for cleaner air and/or hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors.

Special Considerations

In addition to CDC’s Respiratory Virus Guidance, there are several special considerations for people with certain risk factors for severe illness.