According to Gottlieb, shortening the quarantine period can still capture the “majority” of viral cases.

Washington- Former Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, said the shortened recommended quarantine period being considered by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should catch the “majority” of coronavirus infections.

“What you want is a cautious and practical recommendation that people will follow,” Gottlieb said in an interview with “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “And with a 14-day quarantine period, it’s a very long period, and many people just don’t follow it, making it difficult to adhere to the recommendations. Therefore, set 10 days. Even a one-day quarantine period or a seven-day quarantine period will capture most of the infection within that period. “

Current guidelines recommend that the CDC quarantine people with COVID-19 for 14 days after their last contact. However, health agencies are considering shortening that period. Admiral Brett Guilloyle, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services of the Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters on Tuesday that “the superiority of evidence that shorter quarantine supplemented by tests may shorten the quarantine period.” He said there was.

The Trump administration is “actively working on that kind of guidance,” and is considering evidence, Giroyle said.

Gottlieb called the potential move by the CDC a “cautious step” that should have been considered before. He said that most people infected with COVID-19 will be infected within 5-7 days, but there is also evidence that they will not be infected until 14 days after exposure.

“I think we need to balance the practicality of what you recommend with the ability and willingness of those who adhere to it,” he said.

Recommendations from the CDC are subject to change as the United States is experiencing the latest surge in coronavirus infections. Public health experts expect the number of cases to increase after Thanksgiving holidays.

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 13.2 million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed and hospitalizations are skyrocketing, so the governor and mayor are beginning to impose restrictions on restaurants and bars to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. However, in many places residents are required to wear masks in public.

Governor said he expects infection rates to remain lower in the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions, where he “takes more aggressive steps earlier,” than in other parts of the country, Gottlieb said. .. He also has little evidence that the economy worked better in other areas where the governor refused to enforce strict restrictions, such as mandating masks and closing bars and restaurants, than where stricter measures were taken. Said.

“It’s the virus that really keeps consumers home,” he said. “The reason people don’t eat out is that they don’t want to go to restaurants, so they are at risk of getting infected. It’s not a duty or state action to keep people home. It’s an infection.”

Coronavirus cases continue to grow, and leading health experts warn that the country is facing a harsh winter, but three pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, modern And AstraZenecaReports positive late-stage study results for the COVID-19 vaccine.On Tuesday, the CDC Vaccination Implementation Advisory Board Will meet Discuss the allocation of COVID-19 vaccine and make recommendations on who should be vaccinated first.

Gottlieb admitted that “there isn’t enough supply to vaccinate everyone” that could be vaccinated, but the first tranche goes to health care workers and caregiver residents. I predicted. However, if Pfizer and Moderna received an emergency license from the FDA, only 40 million doses would be available throughout January, saying, “Probably not enough vaccines to function fully in both of these groups. “He said.