Covid rules summer 2025: What happens if you test positive, can you work and how long are you contagious?

• Summer is finally here, but that doesn’t mean Covid is taking a holiday.
• Cases have been climbing thanks to the latest Nimbus variant.
• These are the rules to follow if you test positive for Covid this summer.

Summer seems like the last time you’d expect to feel under the weather, but many illnesses including Covid continue to spread.

Covid cases have been slowly climbing in recent weeks thanks to the Nimbus variant, also known as NB1.8.1. Latest figures from the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA), reveal numbers are up 4%, in the week up to June 17, with 1,292 cases now reported.

There has also been a 9.4% rise in Covid patients being admitted to hospital during the same period, with 947 currently receiving treatment.

The rules on what to do if you test positive for Covid have changed significantly since the beginning of the pandemic. Here’s everything you need to know about what the current rules are, if you can work and how long you could be contagious.

This is what happens if you test positive for Covid this summer. | ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images

What is the new Covid variant?

First detected on January 22, 2025, the new Covid strain, NB.1.8.1, also known as Nimbus, originates from the omicron variant which saw cases spike in 2023.

Despite an increase in cases and hospitalisations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, the WHO have revealed that current data does not indicate that it leads to more severe illness than current variants.

What are the symptoms of Covid?

The symptoms of Covid are similar to that of a cold or flu, most people will start to feel better within a few weeks, however for others it can take longer to recover or can become a more serious illness.

Despite the many different variants, the symptoms of Covid have remained the same, symptoms of Covid according to the NHS can include:

• a high temperature or shivering (chills)
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• shortness of breath
• feeling tired or exhausted
• an aching body
• a headache
• a sore throat
• a blocked or runny nose
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea
• feeling sick or being sick

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What are the rules if you test positive for Covid?

There are no Covid restrictions in the UK, gone are the days when you were legally required to self-isolate.

Instead, if you test positive with Covid you are advised to try and stay home and avoid contact with people for five days if you are over the age of 18, or three days if you are under the age of 18.

You are also advised to avoid meeting those who are more likely to get seriously ill from Covid, such as people with a weakened immune system for 10 days after the day you took your test.

Can you go to work if you test positive for Covid?

It is not advised that you go to work if you test positive with Covid, as you are recommended to try and stay home and avoid contact with people for five days. The NHS explain that you can go back to any normal activities when you feel better or no longer have a high temperature.

How long are you contagious with Covid?

You are contagious with Covid usually for five days, which is why the NHS recommend avoiding coming into contact with people during this time.

However, some people can be infectious up to 10 days from testing positive, which is why it’s important to take regular tests and that to stay home until you feel well enough to resume normal activities if you are still experiencing symptoms after five days.

For those under 18, you are only contagious for three days, as children and young people tend to be contagious for less time than adults.

You can find out more information about Covid symptoms and how long you are contagious at NHS.UK.