Short answer: after COVID, wait until you’ve gone at least 24 hours without a fever (without fever medicine) and your symptoms are getting better, which is the CDC’s point for going back to normal activities, then keep the first sauna to 30 minutes. If you had chest pain, shortness of breath or a racing heart during or after COVID, see a doctor before any heat or hard exercise.
A private infrared sauna at NOLA Chill, 6045 Magazine Street, New Orleans, is $30 for 30 minutes or $40 for 45, and five 30-minute visits are $125. You can book a time and pay after your visit. We’re open Monday to Friday 9 to 7, Saturday 9 to 4 and Sunday 10 to 3.
The CDC’s timeline
The CDC’s guidance on precautions when you’re sick covers COVID, the flu and other respiratory viruses with one rule: stay home and away from others until, for at least 24 hours, your symptoms are getting better overall and you have not had a fever without fever-reducing medicine. For the five days after that it suggests added precautions, such as a mask, distance and clean hands, because you may still be able to spread the virus. A sauna visit means a shared lobby and a staff member, so our suggestion is to plan it for after those five days.
The CDC’s COVID symptoms page lists trouble breathing and persistent pain or pressure in the chest among the emergency warning signs. If you had anything like that, or a racing or pounding heart that lingers, see a doctor before you add heat or hard exercise back.
Sauna or wait? A quick guide
| Where you are | What to do |
|---|---|
| A fever, or symptoms still getting worse | Rest and drink fluids. No heat. |
| The first day without a fever | Wait. The CDC’s point is a full 24 hours fever-free with symptoms improving. |
| Past 24 hours fever-free, inside the five days of added precautions | Our suggestion is to let those days pass before a visit. |
| Chest pain, breathlessness or a racing heart during or since | See a doctor before any heat or hard exercise. |
| Well, but tired for weeks | Start with the easy options: NuCalm ($40) or Hydromassage ($30), then a 30-minute sauna when it sounds good. |
Easing back in
COVID can leave people tired for longer than a cold does, and the heat of a sauna is a mild workout for your heart and your sweat glands, so the first session back is not the day to push. The pattern that works is the same one on our how soon after being sick page.
- Keep it to 30 minutes. Book a 30-minute infrared sauna session ($30) rather than 45.
- Drink water before and after. You’ll sweat, and being unwell leaves you short of fluids.
- Step out early if you feel dizzy, breathless or worse. Staff would rather you leave early.
- Tired for weeks? NuCalm ($40) is 30 minutes of guided rest on a recliner, and our easy ways back to normal page lays out the gentle order.
What the research says
We haven’t seen studies on sauna use after COVID, so the timing above comes from the CDC’s guidance, not from sauna research. We make no claim that a sauna helps you recover from COVID or that it does anything for lingering symptoms. Our evidence library covers what sauna studies do and don’t show.
More for cold and flu season
- Sauna when sick or with a fever: the 24-hour rule
- How soon you can use a sauna after being sick
- Cryotherapy when sick: when to wait, when it’s fine
- After the flu or a cold: easy ways back to normal
- Flu season in New Orleans: this week’s numbers
Frequently asked questions
How long after COVID can I use a sauna?
Wait until you’ve gone at least 24 hours without a fever, without fever medicine, and your symptoms are getting better overall, which is the CDC’s point for normal activities. We suggest letting the CDC’s five days of added precautions pass too, then keeping the first session to 30 minutes.
Can I use a sauna with COVID?
No. With a fever or symptoms still getting worse, rest and drink fluids, and stay away from shared spaces so you don’t pass it on.
Is a sauna good for COVID recovery?
We haven’t seen evidence that it helps, and we make no claim that it does. Once you’re well, it’s a warm, quiet 30 minutes, and that’s the honest limit of it.
I tested positive but have no symptoms. Can I come in?
The CDC’s current guidance keys on symptoms, and it suggests added precautions for five days when you know you’re infected, so our suggestion is to give it those five days.
Can I do cryotherapy after COVID?
The same 24-hour rule applies, and the 2025 expert consensus on whole body cryotherapy lists heart and blood pressure conditions among the things to clear with a doctor first. Our cryotherapy when sick page has the details.
Should I see a doctor before coming back?
If you had chest pain, trouble breathing or a racing heart during or after COVID, yes, before any heat or hard exercise. If it was mild and you feel like yourself, most people don’t need to.
I booked a visit and tested positive. What should I do?
Text us at (504) 381-4207 and we’ll move your visit.
NOLA Chill is a wellness studio at 6045 Magazine Street in New Orleans, not a medical clinic. The sauna is a wellness amenity, not medical care, and nothing here is advice about an illness.