The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States is expected to change its isolation guidance for positive Covid-19 cases this spring, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Since 2021, the CDC has recommended that individuals isolate for at least five days if they test positive for Covid-19. The updated guidance states that individuals no longer need to isolate after being fever-free for 24 hours and if they have mild symptoms or are improving, according to the Washington Post.
This recommendation will align Covid-19 with other respiratory viruses, such as the flu.
California and Oregon recently violated CDC guidance and informed that residents of their states with a positive Covid-19 test no longer needed to isolate for a specific period of time – and those without symptoms did not need to isolate completely.
The science surrounding Covid-19 transmission has not changed, but experts widely agreed, following the changes in California and Oregon, that relaxing isolation timelines will not significantly increase transmission, partly because the virus has been circulating at very high levels even with more restrictive guidelines in place.
Other experts argue that, after nearly everyone has contracted the virus and developed some immunity, Covid-19 is producing many mild infections. Many people are not even getting tested. And when they test positive, individuals are no longer following the CDC’s strict isolation guidelines.
Still, tens of thousands of people are hospitalized with Covid-19 and hundreds die from the virus every week. There were about 21,000 Covid-19 hospitalizations during the week ending February 3, according to the latest CDC data. This is about 20% lower than last year, but more than three times the lowest point this summer.
Source: CNN