What dual condition must be met to safely resume normal activities post-COVID?

Fever-free for a full 24 hours without medication AND symptoms clearly improving

The safe resumption of normal activities hinges on meeting two concurrent conditions that signal both the acute infection phase is over and the body is recovering functionally. First, an individual must have passed a full 24-hour period without any fever, and importantly, this must be achieved without the aid of fever-reducing medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Second, accompanying this temperature stability, there must be clear, sustained improvement across all other symptoms experienced during the illness. Meeting only one criterion, such as feeling slightly better but still running a low-grade fever, is insufficient because residual contagiousness or ongoing inflammation can still pose risks or lead to immediate setbacks.