CDC can shorten coronavirus isolation time: What does that mean?

February 23, 2024 – Is shorter better? Or is it more practical? It has been reported that the CDC will shorten its quarantine recommendation for coronavirus infections from five days to 24 hours starting in April.

The agency appears to be walking a fine line between making cuts. COVID transmission; JN.1 variant, and the reality that many people are struggling to miss work or school for days at a time.

The agency is expected to recommend that patients seek medical attention for 24 hours under two conditions: they have not had a fever for 24 hours, and their symptoms are mild and improving. But what does this mean for those at higher risk of more severe COVID-19 outcomes? Why wait until April? Has the science about coronavirus changed, or is it just our actions?

We asked some experts for answers.

It remains to be seen whether people are likely to be quarantined for 24 hours or whether that will send an unintended message about the severity of the coronavirus.

“That's my worry, that if it's too short, people won't take the quarantine seriously,'' said the Fairfax, Va.-based nonprofit advocacy group for people with these conditions. said Dr. Purvi Parikh, an immunologist with the Allergy & Asthma Network.

If the CDC moves forward with its recommendations, Bruce Farber, M.D., chief public health and epidemiology officer at Northwell Health in New York, said the coronavirus is unpredictable and the CDC will need to be flexible. I hope you will. “If the situation changes and there is a big peak in the fall…this should be reconsidered.”

MDCM's Brian Coffman said the move “ignores the increased risk this change poses to our most vulnerable populations.” He was diagnosed with the blood cancer chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2005, making him one of the nearly 7 percent of people with a weakened immune system.

“These changes will reinforce the need for me and other immunocompromised people to continue to avoid crowds, wear masks indoors, and practice careful hand hygiene,” he said. Stated. “Visits to restaurants and other indoor events will be even more risky.”

“Many people, myself included, will choose to stay home because we don't want to take any risks.”

Coffman said protecting these high-risk populations from the coronavirus could help reduce risk for larger populations. “New variants often emerge in infected people with weakened immune systems, so there is clear evidence that protecting them protects everyone. ”

timing issue

Many people are testing for the coronavirus at home but not reporting their results, making it even harder to gauge the overall number of people infected and infected. However, just under 10% of those who were formally tested tested positive (the latest statistics). CDC COVID Tracker The numbers reveal.

COVID-19 is not the only virus present this winter respiratory season, as respiratory syncytial virus and influenza continue to make people sick.

The CDC may be pausing to overcome the winter surge in coronavirus cases. “They're waiting until April because the RSV epidemic is likely to be over and the number of coronavirus cases is likely to be dramatically lower than it was during the winter,” Farber said.

He also said the pandemic is not what it was two years ago. “There is a lot of immunity to the new coronavirus in the world.”

There's also the practical question of how many people are infected. COVID symptoms Or, if you actually test positive for coronavirus, you will be quarantined for a full five days. “I don't think anyone would dispute that it's not safer to wear a mask and be quarantined for five days, but the reality is that most people aren't following these rules,” Farber said.