The CDC shortens the isolation of COVID-19 and recommends quarantine time for close contact. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection)

New York (AP) — US health officials on Monday reduced the quarantine limit for Americans catching the coronavirus from 10 to 5 days, as well as the time that close contact needs to be quarantined.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance was in line with increasing evidence that people infected with the coronavirus were most infectious two and three days before the onset of symptoms.

This decision was also triggered by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and was driven by Omicron variants.

Early studies suggest that Omicron may cause milder illnesses than previous versions of the coronavirus. However, experts say that the number of people infected is so high that it needs to be quarantined or quarantined, which can compromise the ability of hospitals, airlines and other businesses to stay open. ..

Rochelle Wallensky, director of the CDC, said many Omicron cases are likely to occur in the country.

“Not all of these cases will be serious. In fact, many will be asymptomatic,” she told The Associated Press on Monday. “We want to make sure that there is a mechanism that can keep society functioning safely while pursuing science.”

Last week, authorities relaxed a rule that previously required healthcare professionals to take a 10-day leave if the test was positive. According to the new recommendation, workers can return to work after 7 days if the test is negative and there are no symptoms. Authorities also said the quarantine period could be five days or shorter in the event of a serious staff shortage.

Currently, the CDC is changing the quarantine and quarantine guidance for the general public to be less stringent.

Guidance is not mandatory. This is a recommendation for employers, state and local officials. Last week, the state of New York announced that it would expand the CDC’s guidance for healthcare professionals to include employees with other important jobs facing serious staff shortages.

Other states may try to shorten quarantine and quarantine policies, and the CDC is trying to escape ahead of the shift. Walensky says, “It would be nice to have a unified CDC guidance” that others can use, rather than a jumble of policies.

The CDC’s guidance on quarantine and quarantine seems to confuse the general public, and new recommendations “are happening when more people are positive for the first time and looking for guidance,” American said. Lindsay Wiley, a university public health law, said. Expert.

Nevertheless, the guidance remains complicated.

isolation

Quarantine rules are intended for infected people. The same is true for unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, fully vaccinated, or boost-immunized people.

They say:

-The clock starts on the day when the test is positive.

-Infected individuals should be quarantined for 5 days instead of the previously recommended 10.

— At the end of the 5 days, if you are asymptomatic, you can return to normal activity, but you should wear a mask wherever you are (at home or around others) for at least another 5 days.

— If symptoms persist after 5 days of quarantine, stay home until you feel better, then always wear a mask and start 5 days.

quarantine

Quarantine rules are intended for people who are in close contact with the infected person but who are not infected themselves.

In the case of quarantine, the clock starts on the day someone warns you that you may have been exposed to a virus.

Earlier, the CDC stated that people who were not fully vaccinated and had close contact with the infected would need to stay home for at least 10 days.

Currently, the agency says that only those who get booster shots can skip quarantine if they wear the mask for at least 10 days in all settings.

It’s a change. Previously, fully vaccinated individuals (CDC defined as two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine) could be exempt from quarantine.

Currently, the person who gets the first shot instead of the booster is in the same situation as the person who is partially vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. You can stop the quarantine after 5 days by wearing the mask in all settings after 5 days.

5 days

Suspend both quarantine and quarantine after 5 days is risky.

Many people get tested when they first feel symptoms, but many Americans get tested for other reasons, such as whether they can visit for family or work. In short, positive test results may not tell you exactly when a person was infected, or clearly indicate when they are most contagious, experts say.

Dr. Aaron Glatt, a New York doctor who is a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said that when people become infected, the risk of infection is significantly reduced after five days, but it does not go away for everyone.

“If you reduce it to five days, you’ll end up with a significant number of people, albeit a small number of contagious people,” he said.

That’s why wearing a mask is an important part of CDC guidance, Walensky says.

Shorter quarantine can benefit companies that are already suffering from a labor shortage. The impact can be felt in a variety of industries, including schools.

“It’s a step in the right direction because it’s really hard to take a 10-day vacation to manage COVID,” said Kristan Nigro, a teacher at CCSD Kindergarten. “It’s not only hard work for educators, it’s hard work for students.”

Teacher FOX5 said he expects these new recommendations to be considered when the school returns from winter vacation. Some teachers have stated that reducing student quarantine time is also important for education.

“Thanks to COVID, we have made all these concessions for our students. We hope this actually helps with attendance and strength as they don’t have to be in school for quite some time. Students return to the classroom. “

Union SEIU Local 1107 represents healthcare professionals and civil servants.

A spokeswoman told FOX5, “If the quarantine period is further shortened due to increased infection rates, healthcare workers may be exploited and stress the already overloaded system. The hospital prevents the spread of members, the patients they care for, and the Omicron variant. “

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The Associated Press’s Department of Health Sciences is supported by the Science Education Department of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP is solely responsible for all content.