The new CDC COVID-19 isolation and quarantine rules are controversial
When we continue to move through Covid-19 pandemic, our knowledge of viruses and how it has changed. This has led to guidelines from agencies such as controlling centers and disease prevention (CDC) and feeding (FDA) that change periodically. Now, the CDC has announced new quarantine guidelines for those who have been exposed to Covid-19 or who have contracted Covid-19 asymptomatic, and it can make some people scratch their heads.
What are the new CDC guidelines?
In a statement issued this week, the CDC announced that it shortened the recommended quarantine time for those diagnosed with Covid-19 from 10 days to 5 days. If, after five days, the infected person does not show symptoms, the CDC says they can leave isolation but recommend them wear a mask for five days further to reduce the possibility of spreading the virus.
If you are not vaccinated, it has been more than six months since the last dose of your mRNA vaccine, or more than two months since receiving Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the CDC recommends that you quarantine for five days if you are exposed to covid. After the five-day isolation period, the CDC recommends that you obey the use of a tight mask for five days.
Those who have received a booster dose, on the other hand, no need to quarantine at all after someone’s exposure with Covid-19, even though the CDC still recommends wearing a mask for ten days after exposure. Agency also recommends that all people have the potential to reveal a five-day test after exposure, and isolate when symptoms develop until the negative Covid test is obtained.
In a statement, the CDC said that the recommendation of shift isolation was based on “science which showed that the majority of SARS-COV-2 transmission occurred at the beginning of the course of the disease, generally in 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms and 2 -3 after.” In addition, Director CDC Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that this new guideline would mean that people did not need to delay their lives just because they had been exposed to someone who was covid-19-positive.
“The omicron variant spreads rapidly and has the potential to have an impact on all aspects of our society,” Dr. Walensky in a statement. “The latest CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of viruses and protection provided by vaccination and booster doses. This update ensures that people can safely continue their daily lives. Prevention is our best choice: Get vaccination, enhanced , Wear a mask in an indoor environment in a substantial and high community transmission field, and follow the test before you gather. “
Our understanding of Covid-19 has changed rapidly throughout the pandemic, which often leads to guidelines shifting from scientists and epidemiology. While guidance has been fluid throughout the pandemic, one thing that remains relatively consistent is the CDC guide about isolation and quarantine. For most pandemics, the CDC recommends that they are exposed to Covid-19 quarantine for 14 days, reducing up to 10 days earlier this year.
Now, with new recommendations set at five days, some might be wondering if it’s too little. In a recent call between President Biden and the National Governor Association, the President was asked whether he supports the recommended reduction in quarantine time. The answer was direct, with the President said, “I listened to my medical team. When I get a recommendation, I follow.”