new york –
U.S. health officials announced Friday that Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to quarantine for five days.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its long-standing guidance, saying people whose symptoms are mild and improving and who have had a fever for one day may return to work or normal activities.
The change comes at a time when COVID-19 is no longer the public health threat it once was. It was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. early in the pandemic, but last year it fell to number 10.
Most people have some level of immunity to the coronavirus from past vaccinations or infections. And some experts say many people aren’t following the five-day quarantine guidance anyway.
“Our goal here is to continue to protect people at risk of serious illness while ensuring that these recommendations are simple, clear, easy to understand and follow. It’s about reassuring people,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen.
But some experts are concerned that the change could increase the risk of infection for people who are more likely to become seriously ill.
Why are the guidelines changing?
Hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are not as high as they were in the first few years of the pandemic. This change is an effort to streamline recommendations similar to long-standing recommendations for influenza and other respiratory viruses. Officials say many people with symptoms such as a runny nose or cough have not been tested to distinguish whether they have COVID-19, the flu or something else.
While this may not be as strict, it also emphasizes that anyone with respiratory symptoms should stay home while sick, said Dr. David Margolius, director of the Cleveland Health Department. Stated.
Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health, said there have been no recent changes in the science of how long people with COVID-19 can be contagious.
“What has changed is how much harm this coronavirus is causing to our people,” Nuzzo said.
What are the new guidelines?
If you have symptoms, stay at home until your symptoms become milder and better and one day has passed since the onset of your fever. But you can remain vigilant by wearing a mask and distancing yourself from others.
However, guidelines for nursing homes and health care facilities remain unchanged.
The agency stresses that people should try to prevent infection in the first place by getting vaccinated, washing their hands and taking steps to get more fresh air outdoors.
Is there a reason for this change?
Yes, and even those who understand the rationale for the change have concerns.
“What worries me most about all of this is that employers will use this change in guidance to require employees to return to work… Their co-workers before they are ready, before they feel well enough, and before they are unlikely to harm their employees,” Nuzzo said.
Is this the first time the guidelines have changed?
No. The CDC initially recommended a 10-day quarantine, but at the end of 2021 it reduced the quarantine period to 5 days for Americans who are infected with the coronavirus and have no symptoms or only short-term symptoms. . The guidance states that isolation will only end if a person has remained fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medications and their other symptoms have resolved.
At the time, officials said the changes were in line with evidence that people infected with the coronavirus are most contagious in the two days before they develop symptoms and in the three days after they develop symptoms.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.
