A positive COVID test no longer means five days at home, new CDC isolation guidelines say

Jana Hayes, The Oklahoman
·2 min read
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People who test positive for COVID-19 will no longer be directed to stay home for five days, now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is updating its isolation guidelines.

It's the first time the agency has revised its coronavirus guidelines since 2021, and is intended for individuals and employers, not hospitals or nursing homes with separate guidance, the CDC said.

Here's what we know.

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What are the new CDC COVID isolation guidelines?

FILE - COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result are photographed in New York, April 5, 2023. The Biden administration has announced that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to again order up to four free tests per household. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File) ORG XMIT: WX110

According to the new CDC recommendations, people who test positive for COVID-19 should base how long they isolate on their symptoms.

Testing is not recommended as a standard for deciding when someone is no longer contagious. If you're fever-free for at least 24 hours and symptoms are improving, the CDC said you can return to public life.

However, the CDC still recommends using preventative strategies for the next five days like limiting close contact with others, enhancing hygienic activities like hand-washing, improving ventilation, masking and testing as needed.

Why did the CDC change its COVID-19 isolation guidelines?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen in the CDC offices in Washington, DC on February 27, 2024.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen in the CDC offices in Washington, DC on February 27, 2024.

The change is a streamlined approach, the CDC said, which is easier for people to understand and more in line with other respiratory viruses that spread the same way and have similar symptoms.

CDC Director Mandy Cohen said the change also reflects progress made in reducing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 over the last two years, while still emphasizing continued use of vaccines and treatments.

"We're in a different situation, but we must use the tools that work to protect against respiratory viruses," she told reporters. "That’s why our updated guidance emphasizes some core prevention actions to protect against severe illness from respiratory viruses."

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, Adrianna Rodriguez and Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: COVID isolation guidelines: CDC drops five-day isolation period