Preventing spread to others
If you have mpox, you are advised to stay at home (isolate) if you have mpox symptoms, including until your mpox rash has healed and a new layer of skin has formed. Staying away from other people and not sharing things you have touched with others will help prevent the spread of mpox.
People with mpox should clean and disinfect the spaces they occupy regularly to limit household contamination.
If you cannot isolate completely while you are sick, take precautions to limit the risk of spreading mpox to others such as:
- Wear a well-fitting mask and cover lesions while around others.
- Disinfect surfaces in shared bathrooms or rooms between each use.
- Avoid sharing objects (e.g., towels, washcloths, drinking from the same glass).
- Cover upholstered furniture and porous materials that cannot be washed.
- Mpox can also spread to animals, so staying away from pets, livestock and other animals is important.