Coronavirus and self-isolation after being in contact with a positive case in England: 9 to 16 August 2021

• Data collected from 9 to 16 August 2021 show that the majority (88%) of those who had contact with a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) case fully adhered to self-isolation requirements.

• This has remained stable since early June but is statistically significantly lower than the 93% seen during the 4 to 8 May 2021 period, when Step 2 of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown was in place.

• Around 4 in 5 respondents (79%) fully understood self-isolation requirements, and adherence to them was statistically significantly higher among this group (91%) compared with those who did not fully understand the requirements (77%).

• Of those who reported non-adherent behaviour (11% of all respondents), 79% left their house at least once during the self-isolation period for a non-permitted reason.

• The majority of respondents (92%) reported having no contact with non-household members for their full period of self-isolation.

• Just over a third of all respondents (37%) reported that self-isolation had a negative effect on their well-being and mental health, and 31% reported having lost income because of self-isolation.

Survey information

The latest quality and methodology information on data from the COVID Test and Trace Contacts Insights Survey can be found in Coronavirus and self-isolation after being in contact with a positive case in England: methodology.

Estimates for this survey

The data were collected between 9 and 16 August 2021. From 16 August 2021, those aged under 18 years and double-vaccinated people who have been in contact with a positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) no longer need to self-isolate, though they are still advised to take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. This change did not apply to respondents in this survey.

The sample consisted of 946 adults and was stratified to be representative of the age, sex and regional distribution of the “contacts” population.

Percentages in this report are based on weighted counts that are representative of the population of adults (aged 18 years or over) notified as being in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 between 12 July and 8 August 2021. Percentages are adjusted to address age, sex and regional bias in responses.

Of those potential respondents who were successfully contacted by an interviewer, the response rate was 56.6%. When including cases where contact was attempted but not made, the response rate was 13.7%. As with all surveys, these estimates have an associated margin of error.

Respondents were randomly sampled through the Contact Tracing and Advisory Service (CTAS) database, held by NHS Test and Trace. The majority (90%) of respondents were interviewed within four days of the end of their self-isolation period, in order to minimise recall bias. The longest time between the end of self-isolation and interview was seven days.