CDC lifts five-day isolation rules for Covid-19 infections | Top Vip News

US News

By Katherine Donlevy

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control revoked its long-standing five-day isolation guidance for people who contract COVID-19.

Under updated guidelines, the CDC says people infected with the coronavirus can return to work or the public only one full day after their fever subsides.

“Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against serious illness caused by COVID-19,” said agency director Dr. Mandy Cohen. he said in a statement.

“However, we still need to use the common sense solutions that we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness caused by respiratory viruses; this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick.”

Isolation guidelines have not been updated since December 2021, when the CDC shortened the recommended isolation time for Americans with asymptomatic cases to five days from the previous guidance of 10 days.

The announcement follows reports last month that the policy change was being prepared due to a decline in infections.

The United States has seen an overall decline in COVID-19 cases: 17,300 people were hospitalized and 510 died from the virus during the week of February 17, the most recent. CDC data available.

COVID-19 went from being the third cause of death in the country at the beginning of the pandemic to the tenth last year.

However, the updated guidelines do not affect workers in nursing homes and other health care facilities. Medical personnel should follow recommendations to stay home for at least seven days after symptoms first appear and test negative within two days of returning to work, according to the CDC.

While guidelines have been significantly eased, health officials continue to urge sick people to take extra precautions in the first five days after an infection.

People with COVID-19 are encouraged to stay home for up to 24 hours after developing a fever, stay up to date on vaccinations, wear a mask and social distance, all of which reflect similar guidelines as other highly contagious viruses.

“While not all respiratory viruses act the same, taking a unified approach to limiting the spread of disease makes recommendations easier to follow and therefore more likely to be adopted and is not dependent on which individuals screen for diseases, a practice that data shows is uneven. ”the CDC said in the announcement.

With publication wires