The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made a major change to one of its key guidances regarding COVID-19.
On Friday, health officials announced they would no longer recommend a five-day quarantine period for people diagnosed with COVID-19. Instead, the new recommendation is that people with coronavirus can return to normal activities if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and their symptoms are improving.
When exiting isolation, it is recommended to increase hygiene, wear a suitable mask, and distance yourself from others if possible, especially those over 65 and those with weakened immune systems. will be done.
“In short, if people follow these actionable recommendations to avoid getting sick and protect themselves and others if they get sick, it will help limit the spread of respiratory viruses, and that This means fewer people will experience severe illness,” Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a statement. “This includes increasing precautions to protect those at high risk of severe illness.”
The change was first reported by The Washington Post in February, when officials said the current virus is much less likely to cause severe symptoms, mainly because of prior exposure, vaccines, and the use of the virus. This comes in the wake of what he said is due to widespread immunization with better means of treatment. The CDC also noted that states and countries that have already adjusted their recommended quarantine periods have not seen an increase in hospitalizations or deaths.
According to CDC statistics, weekly hospitalizations due to the coronavirus have decreased by more than 75% since the peak of the first omicron wave in January 2022, and deaths have decreased by more than 90%. In 2022, the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus will exceed 245,000, which has decreased to about 76,000 last year.
Additionally, complications such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) are now less common, and the prevalence of long coronavirus is also decreasing, the CDC said.
CDC continues to recommend the following:
People are staying up-to-date on vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus.
- Practice good hygiene by covering your coughs and sneezes, washing or disinfecting your hands frequently, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
- Open windows and doors to bring in more fresh air and purify indoor air, or gather outdoors.
- Five-day quarantine guidelines will remain in place in the community and in medical settings such as nursing homes and hospitals.
