Isolation and prevention practices for people with monkeypox

Updated August 1, 2022These recommendations do not apply in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and outpatient clinics. Instead, healthcare providers should follow CDC\u2019s Infection Prevention and Control of Monkeypox in Healthcare Settings. Congregate care settings, such as correctional facilities and homeless shelters, should follow CDC\u2019s Preventing Monkeypox Spread in Congregate Settings.CDC recommends that people with monkeypox remain isolated at home or at another location for the duration of illness, but that might not be possible in all situations. Prioritizing isolation and source control strategies helps prevent transmission while balancing the impact of this infection on the daily lives of people diagnosed with monkeypox. These considerations may change as we learn more from the 2022 global outbreak of monkeypox.Current data suggest people can spread monkeypox from the time symptoms start until all symptoms have resolved, including full healing of the rash with formation of a fresh layer of skin. Ideally, people with monkeypox would remain in isolation for the duration of illness, which typically lasts two to four weeks