CDC new COVID isolation, mask guidelines 2024

In February, a positive rapid test would have meant five days of self-isolation, away from work, school and/or other obligations that involve going out in public. Not anymore. In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID isolation guidelines based on symptoms, not time since testing positive.

The guidelines have changed in part to match those of other common viral respiratory illnesses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The CDC now says you are cleared to resume normal activities when the following are in place for at least 24 hours:

• Your symptoms are generally improving
• You have not had a fever (and you are not taking medicine to reduce the fever)

Bottom line: if you’re sick, stay home. If your symptoms persist, you may end up self-isolating for five or more days, but you’ll be doing your part to protect your loved ones, coworkers, and others in your community from infection .

If you absolutely can’t stay home when you’re sick, make sure you wear a mask, says Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).

“Those who have symptoms of a respiratory virus — cough, sneezing, body aches, nasal congestion with or without fever — should get tested for COVID-19 — and flu when the flu is circulating in their communities,” says Hopkins. wealth by e-mail. “If the test is positive, see a healthcare professional who can prescribe antiviral medication to help reduce their symptoms and the risk of severe illness.”

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir with ritonavir), the oral COVID antiviral made by Pfizer, cuts the risk of hospitalization by more than half and the risk of death by 75%, according to the CDC. The agency considers people with conditions such as asthma, diabetes or obesity to be at high risk of severe infection and therefore candidates for Paxlovid. Ask your doctor if this or another antiviral treatment is right for you.

Take precautions for 5 days after the symptoms of COVID disappear

The fact that more than 98% of the US population has some immunity to COVID from vaccination and/or previous infection is another reason the CDC opted to move away from the recommended five-day isolation. However, the agency encourages people recovering from coronavirus infection to observe a five-day precautionary period once their “stay at home” period is over.

You are most contagious in the few days before and after symptoms appear, but it is possible to infect others after your symptoms have subsided and you have resumed normal activities. The following are part of CDC’s strategy for mitigating the spread of disease after infection:

• Keeping distance from others
• Wearing a well-fitting mask which covers the mouth and nose
• Practicing good hygiene covering coughs and sneezes, washing or disinfecting hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces
• Take action for cleaner airsuch as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors

The new guidelines reflect “the progress we’ve made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a March news release. “However, we must still use the common-sense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses – these include vaccination, treatment and staying at home when we get sick. “

Less than 1 in 5 adults plan to mask up in the fall, winter

Updated isolation guidelines or not, few US adults plan to wear a mask this fall and winter, according to an NFID survey released Wednesday.

Less than one in five (19%) said they would wear a mask in a hospital, pharmacy or doctor’s office, while almost half (49%) said they would only wear a mask in healthcare facilities, if necessary. The survey also broke down how likely people are to wear a mask in health care settings by race and ethnicity:

• Black: 38%
• hispanic: 23%
• White: 13%

Although you can get respiratory illnesses, including COVID, at any time of the year, the US is entering respiratory virus season. The actions you take — or don’t — to protect your own health and those around you have consequences, Dr. Reed Tuckson, co-founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID, said Wednesday during an NFID press conference.

“To be concerned about whether what you can do could make another person sick or hurt, there’s a moral and ethical issue here,” Tuckson said. “Some of us want to be heroes and leaders: ‘I was sick as a dog and I went to work anyway, and that shows you how tough I am.’

“As opposed to the other narrative is, ‘Let me tell you how rude I am and how willing I am to infect other people just to show you what a big ego I am.’ Which side of the equation do you want to be on?”

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