CDC shortens quarantine period for people with asymptomatic COVID-19 infection
USA: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its recently released recommendations, has shortened the isolation time of the coronavirus infected people from 10 days to five if they are asymptomatic. The decision, according to the Federal health officials, was driven by a growing body of research about when people are most infectious. These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives.
Vaccinated and boosted healthcare staff will now no longer have to quarantine after high-risk exposures and also the isolation time for those testing positive has been shortened, if asymptomatic.
"Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather," said CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to the onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after. Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others.
Given below are the key points of the updated recommendations:
If You Test Positive for COVID-19 (Isolate)
Everyone, regardless of vaccination status
· Stay home for 5 days.
· If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house.
· Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.
If You Were Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (Quarantine)
If you:
have been boosted
OR
Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months
OR
Completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months.
· Wear a mask around others for 10 days.
· Test on day 5, if possible.
If you develop symptoms get a test and stay home.
If you:
Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted
OR
Completed the primary series of J&J over 2 months ago and are not boosted
OR
Are unvaccinated
· Stay home for 5 days. After that continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
· If you can't quarantine you must wear a mask for 10 days.
· Test on day 5 if possible.
If you develop symptoms get a test and stay home.
"These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives," CDC director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "The omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society. CDC's updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses."
Reference:
CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population
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