The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently updated its recommendations on quarantine after potential exposure to COVID-19. What was once advised for 14 days of quarantine can now be reduced to 10 or even 7 days in certain situations. Here’s what this could mean to you:
What does it mean to quarantine?
Those under quarantine should keep 6 to 10 feet apart and prevent prolonged contact in the enclosed environment. They should also:
- Sleep separately from others in a different bed.
- Strict cough mark practice (cover sneeze or cough with sleeve)
- Strict hand hygiene practice
- Do not share utensils, dishes or drink cups
- Wear a mask when sharing indoor space or outside and unable to practice physical distance
As explained by the CDC, ‘Quarantine is the separation of persons or groups of people who have been exposed to a contagious disease but have not acquired a disease (symptom) from those who have not been diagnosed to prevent the potential spread of the virus.”
How many days should someone have quarantine after they had a possible exposure to COVID-19?
It is still safest to quarantine a full 14 days after exposure, and that is what the CDC recommends. However, depending on local situations and resources, new CDC quarantine recommendations for COVID-19 suggest that 10 days may be sufficient, with the possibility of a more extended quarantine test if all three of these conditions are met:
- Your state health department recommends an appropriate quarantine duration of 7-10 days.
- You’re asymptomatic (have no COVID-19 symptoms)
- You are tested for COVD-19 five days or later after exposure and have a negative test report.
Under these three conditions, quarantine can be reduced to as little as seven days. However, under shortened quarantine, you can also monitor the symptoms of COVID-19 if you have already been exposed.
Why did the CDC make this change?
The CDC has not yet given a clear explanation for the change. However, it is logical to speculate that 14-day quarantine might be relieved because we already understand that it is rare for anyone to become symptomatic more than seven days after exposure.
Fourteen-day quarantine has also strained the workforce. Especially in health care, allowing 10-day quarantine to reduce staffing problems in many industries when reasonable. This helps more workers to return to work early as their risk of spreading COVID-19 is low.
Do the new Quarantine Recommendation of CDC for COVID-19 increase the risk?
The risk of new 10-day quarantine rises from 1% to 12%, according to Dr. John BrooksTrusted Source, Chief Medical Officer of CDC’s COVID-19 response.
This is in the context of the follow-up of symptoms during the quarantine period. And most significantly, to add to what Walke said, it is also important to monitor the symptoms for the rest of the 14 days.
Also, he acknowledged that there is still some risk. A person can still pass the virus after having performed a 7-day quarantine and received a negative test result. He estimated the chance to be between 5% and 10%.
Walke noted that travel testing would not eliminate all risks, but when combined with safety measures like handwashing and mask use, “It can make travel safer.”
Disease risk weighed against the impact of longer quarantine
Dr. Miriam Smith, Director of Infectious Disease at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, Queens, New York, told that research would greatly reduce the risk of new CDC quarantine recommendations for COVID-19 transmission.
While the risk of spreading the virus after quarantine but without a negative test is around 1.4%, it falls below 1.1% and is as low as 0.3% for people who quarantine and test negative.
She explained that the limited and still higher chance of spreading the virus after the quarantine was weighed against the personal pressure of more extended quarantine.
CDC strives to make quarantine easier
During the CDC briefing, Walke said the new CDC quarantine recommendations for COVID-19 were intended to address one of the main issues associated with 14-day quarantine.
Walke added that a shorter quarantine time might also reduce community stress when new infections are on the increase.
The revised recommendations apply to those considered to be close contacts with those with infection. The CDC Trusted Source describes close contact as a person who has been infected within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more for 24 hours beginning 2 days before the onset of illness.
If you’ve tested positive for the virus
According to Smith, the best way to reduce spread for someone who tests positive for a new coronavirus is to adhere to the new CDC quarantine recommendations for COVID-19, which include:
- Insulation at home
- Distance from the family
- wear a mask
- Daily hand washing, disinfection and practice proper hand hygiene
We’re on the cusp of having an effective vaccine. Until a large majority of the population is vaccinated, it is important to continue to adhere to these new CDC quarantine recommendations for COVID-19 to reduce the transmission of the new coronavirus.
Anticipated vaccine changing the perception of risk
Dr David Hirschwerk, an infectious disease expert at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York, claims that the promise of a successful vaccine has made us less careful of physical distance.
However, insisted that even with the new guidelines, the CDC still claims 14 days is the safest. It is still very important to adhere to:
- Wear masks,
- Keep physical distances,
- and avoid crowds, mostly indoors, without regard to the testing results.
“The [vaccine] roll-out will be slow. But hopefully, it will start ramping up,” Hirschwerk said. I don’t know when the protection measures are going to come to an end. But we’ll eventually get there.”
Stay safe during the holidays
People need to keep themselves and their families as safe as possible during the winter holidays, according to the new CDC quarantine recommendations for COVID-19 briefing. Walke said the CDC recommends postponing travel and staying at home. However, if you decide to travel, there are steps you should take to reduce your risk.
Walke said the new CDC quarantine recommendations for COVID-19 that it should be checked 1 to 3 days before traveling, and again 3 to 5 days after traveling.
Those who choose not to be tested after travel are advised to reduce non-essential activity for 10 days.
The bottom line
The CDC has updated the quarantine guidelines to reduce the economic impact on people who cannot work while insulating to prevent the transmission of disease.
Previously 14 days, the new guidelines specify a 10-day quarantine for those who do not have symptoms or a 7-day negative coronavirus test.
While the shorter quarantine period raises the risk, this was balanced against the negative effect of longer quarantine on individuals and communities.
