Update (Jan. 3, 2022): Less than a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new recommendation for isolation and quarantine following a new COVID-19 case, Dr. Anthony Fauci indicated over the weekend the recommendation may be adjusted. Most notably, the CDC is now considering adding a negative test requirement for asymptomatic Americans who catch the virus. Fauci’s weekend comments come after the CDC received significant pushback over the new recommendation. Many health professionals have taken an issue with the lack of a negative antigen test as a requirement for leaving isolation.
“There has been some concern about why we don’t ask people at that five-day period to get tested,” Fauci said. “Looking at it again, there may be an option in that, that testing could be a part of that, and I think we’re going to be hearing more about that in the next day or so from the CDC.”
Original Story (Dec. 27, 2021): The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has adjusted its recommendation for isolation and quarantine following a new COVID-19 case. The isolation recommendation applies to the person who actually tested positive, and the quarantine recommendation applies to those who were exposed to that person.
“CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others,” the CDC said in Monday news release. “The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of [COVID-19] transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.”
As for those who were exposed, the quarantine recommendation is a little more complicated. It only applies to the unvaccinated, as well as those who are eligible for a booster dose, but haven’t gotten boosted yet. Those people are also recommended to “quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.”
“If a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure,” the CDC said. “Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.”
The CDC added that regardless of vaccination status, everyone who was exposed to the positive case should get tested five days after exposure.
The change in the CDC recommendation for isolation and quarantine periods was driven, at least partially, by a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. The surge has been propelled by the milder but more transmissible Omicron variant. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the country is about to see a lot of Omicron cases.
“Not all of those cases are going to be severe. In fact many are going to be asymptomatic,” Dr. Walensky
told The Associated Press on Monday. “We want to make sure there is a mechanism by which we can safely continue to keep society functioning while following the science.”
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