The CDC reduces the isolation time for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases to 5 days by Reuters

(Reuters) – U.S. health authorities on Monday shortened the recommended isolation time for Americans with asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 to five days from the previous 10-day guideline.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said that asymptomatic people should be followed for five days after isolation when one mask is around them.

He also recommended a five-day quarantine for those affected by the virus, those who are unvaccinated or more than six months out of the second mRNA dose, or those who are still untreated for more than two months after Johnson & Johnson (NYSE 🙂 vaccination. The quarantine must be followed by strict use of the mask for a further five days.

According to the CDC, isolation distinguishes patients with a contagious disease from those who are not ill, and quarantine distinguishes and restricts the movement of people who have suffered from a contagious disease to see if they are ill.

“The CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and balance the protection offered by vaccines and booster doses,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

Omicron accounts for 73% of U.S. coronavirus infections, the federal CDC said last week.

Infections are on the rise among the fully vaccinated population, including those who have had a third booster shot. However, it seems that Omicron causes milder symptoms in these people, and some of them have no symptoms.

Reducing the CDC’s 10-day quarantine recommendation would help asymptomatic people return to work or school with the right measures, White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci told CNN last week.

People who receive a booster shot should not be quarantined after an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days, the CDC said.