Most schools and workplaces follow a simple rule: stay home until you've been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine and you're feeling better. Enter the time to see your earliest return.
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The 24-hour fever rule
The CDC's guidance for common respiratory viruses says to stay home until you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine and your symptoms are getting better overall. After that, take extra care for a few days — wash hands, cover coughs, and consider a mask around others. Read our article on the 24-hour fever rule.
Fever thresholds
Who
Fever is
Adults and children
100.4°F (38°C) or higher
Babies under 3 months
100.4°F or higher — needs emergency care
When to get checked
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Fever lasting more than 3 days
Fever with a stiff neck, rash, ear pain, painful urination or trouble breathing
No. The clock starts when the fever is gone without any fever-reducing medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Do strep or flu have different rules?
Some illnesses have their own guidance. For strep throat, many schools ask children to wait until they've had antibiotics for at least 12 hours and have no fever. Ask our clinicians what applies to you.
