Use a rapid self-test for COVID-19 at home.
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People who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to isolate for five days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
The CDC's new guidance now matches public health advice for influenza and other respiratory illnesses: Stay home when you're sick, but return to school or work as soon as you feel better and have been fever-free for 24 hours.
This shift reflects a continuing decline in more severe Covid outcomes since the start of the pandemic, as well as a recognition that many people are not testing themselves for Covid anyway.
“A lot of times people don't know what virus they have when they first get sick, so this will help them know what to do, regardless,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said during a news conference on Friday.
Over the past two years, weekly hospitalizations due to Covid have dropped by more than 75%, and deaths have fallen by more than 90%, Cohen said.
“In other words, in 2021, Covid was the third leading cause of death in the United States,” said Dr. Brendan Jackson, chief of respiratory virus response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “Last year, it was the 10th leading cause.” “. Diseases said during the briefing.
Many doctors have been urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lift isolation guidelines for months, saying they have done little to stop the spread of Covid.
The experiences of California and Oregon, which previously lifted Covid isolation guidelines, have proven this to be true.
“Recent data suggests that California and Oregon, where isolation guidelines look more like updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, are not seeing greater emergency department visits or hospitalizations due to coronavirus,” Jackson said.
Changing COVID isolation to reflect what is recommended for influenza and other respiratory illnesses makes sense to Dr. David Margolius, director of public health for the city of Cleveland.
“We're getting to the point where we're having flu at a higher rate than Covid,” he said. “What this guidance will do is help reinforce that – no matter what type of contagious respiratory viral infection you have – stay home when you're sick, and come back when you're better.”
Dr. Christine Englund, an infectious disease expert at the Cleveland Clinic, said the new guidelines will be helpful in reducing the spread of all respiratory viruses.
“I think this will help us in the coming years to make sure we can get our numbers of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus cases down, not just Covid,” she said.
However, the decision is likely to draw criticism from some doctors who point to the fact that the United States recorded 17,310 new hospitalizations in the past week alone.
A general view of the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.
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“It's something that is likely to raise a wide range of opinions and perhaps even conflicting opinions,” said Dr. Faisal Khan, Seattle's director of public health. “But the CDC’s rationale is sound in that the pandemic is now at a very different stage than it was in 2021, 2022 or 2023.”
Although isolation guidelines have been erased, the CDC still encourages people to play safely for five days after they feel better. This includes placing masks around vulnerable people and opening windows to improve fresh air flow indoors.
The majority of the spread of the virus occurs when people are most ill. “As the days go by, less virus is spreading,” Cohen said.
People at higher risk of severe COVID complications, such as older adults, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women, may need to take extra precautions.
It's a “step in the positive direction,” said Dr. Katie Passaretti, chief epidemiologist at Atrium Health in Charlotte.
“We continue to move towards what the world looks like after Covid, as Covid is one of many respiratory viruses that are sure to spread,” she said.
The new guidelines are intended for the general public only, and do not include isolation guidelines in hospitals, which are generally 10 days.
The agency said Wednesday that adults 65 and older should get a booster dose of the Covid vaccine this spring. The country is expected to see an uptick in the disease later this summer.
Winter and summer waves of Covid have emerged over the past four years, with cases peaking in January and August, respectively, according to the CDC.
Another reformulated shot is expected to be available and recommended this fall.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s top tips for reducing the spread of coronavirus:
Get the COVID vaccine whenever available. Cohen said 95% of people hospitalized with Covid last winter did not receive the latest vaccine. Cover coughs and sneezes, and wash hands frequently. Increase ventilation by opening windows, using air purifiers, and gathering outside when possible.
