Quarantine is what happens when you are avoiding others because you were exposed to someone with the disease, even though you are not necessarily sick yourself.

Isolation is what happens when you are avoiding others because you are known to be sick.

A COVID positive person should isolate for at least 10 days* because that’s about how long it takes after symptoms develop for the disease to no longer be contagious. We also make sure they’re no longer feverish and that they’re improving overall..

Some exposed to that person should quarantine for 14days after their exposure. This is longer than the isolation period because symptoms usually don’t start for a few days after exposure and 14 days gives the infection time to run its course in the exposed person.

How to Quarantine or Isolate:

if at all possible live apart, or in different parts of the house, ideally in separate rooms, using separate bathrooms
Avoid contact with pretty much anyone in your house or out of it. Even pets!
Wear a mask while around others (even those in your house!)
Monitor your symptoms. If you have trouble breathing, go to the ER
If you were exposed to COVID, you should be tested after 3-5 days of quarantine . Waiting allows the viral levels to grow and decreases the chance of a false negative test.
If you are isolating (you have COVID) and you can’t avoid close contact with someone, they will need to begin a quarantine period after your isolation period is over
If you are quarantining (you were exposed to COVID but thus far don’t have it) and you can’t avoid close contact with someone, they do not need to quarantine….unless you develop symptoms or you have a positive test.

*in the severely sick (hospitalized) and those with certain conditions that weaken the immune system, we increase this to 20 days

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/isolation.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html