U.S. health agency shortens quarantine guidance following coronavirus exposure

[webfact]

U.S. health agency shortens quarantine guidance following coronavirus exposure

By Manas Mishra and Carl O'Donnell

 

FILE PHOTO: Back-up hospital beds are seen in the parking garage at the Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada, U.S. November 11, 2020. Jason Bean/Reno Gazette Journal/USA Today via REUTERS

 

(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday said a shorter quarantine period of seven days with a negative COVID-19 test and 10 days without a test would work for individuals showing no symptoms after virus exposure, providing alternatives to the current 14-day standard.

 

The CDC said it still recommends a 14-day quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19 as the best way to reduce its spread, calling the shorter options alternatives it hopes will increase compliance.

 

"Reducing the length of quarantine may make it easier for people to follow critical public health action by reducing the economic hardship associated with a longer period, especially if they cannot work during that time,” CDC official Henry Walke told reporters on a conference call.

 

The CDC on Wednesday said it was recommending shorter self-quarantine periods after potential exposure to the coronavirus of seven days with a negative test and 10 days without a test. Colette Luke has more.

 

People must still watch for symptoms for 14 days, Walke said.

 

Last week, a top U.S. health official said people might be more likely to comply with a shorter quarantine period, even if it meant some infections might be missed.

 

"I think it's the right move based on epidemiological data and the difficulty people have in adhering to 14 days," said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

 

The World Health Organization has recommended a 14-day period for quarantine.

 

Studies show that people usually start showing symptoms of the disease within five days of exposure, but the CDC had earlier said between 40% and 50% of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic.

 

The CDC updated its definition of what constitutes close contact in October to include direct physical contact, sharing food utensils, or exposure of 15 minutes spent six feet (1.83 m)or closer to an infected person.

 

The two shorter quarantine period are based on analysis of new research and data, CDC said.

 

"Agencies like ours have to have the courage to change when we have data that says we need to change," CDC director Robert Redfield told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

 

"Obviously, 14 days of quarantine has an impact on productivity; 14 days of quarantine also has an impact on whether people quarantined," he said.

 

(Reporting by Manas Mishra Bengaluru and Carl O' Donnell in New York, additional reporting by Mrinalika Roy and Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-03

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

[Stargeezr]

USA number 1 in virus cases and deaths yet they want to shorten quarantine time. Nice, guess the freedom is just too great to for people to take 14 days at least just to be safe. Go for the 10 days and see. Oh how about 7 days and promise to behave for 7 more,  okay great, wink wink nudge nudge. Liberty and freedom  more important than caution. Yup I understand.  300 thousand deaths will be reached for sure in that country alone.

 

  In Canada that would be almost 10 percent of the population.

Geezer

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I just know one thing...

 

In regularly reading the Thai news media reports on COVID cases on quarantined inbound travelers, I've regularly been seeing those folks testing positive for the first time on days 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 of their Thai quarantine.

 

[mtls2005]

13 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I've regularly been seeing those folks testing positive for the first time on days 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 of their Thai quarantine.

 

Three tests, day 0/arrival - day 5 - day 13.

 

But yes, seem to be finding a lot on day 13 - these people were infected on the plane in-bound (from those other passengers who did not need a negative test).

 

In the U.S. each state has its own rules. Some are severe, some are non-existent. All are voluntary (self-quarantine) with little enforcement. But most I know are observing them.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/us-state-travel-restrictions-covid-19/index.html

 

Massachusetts

All visitors and residents must complete a travel form before arriving in Massachusetts unless they are arriving from a state designated by the Department of Public Health as low risk. As of November 30, those were Hawaii and Maine.

Travelers must "quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative Covid-19 test result that has been administered up to 72 hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts." Those waiting on test results need to quarantine until they receive their negative results. Failure to comply with these directives may result in a $500 fine. Check here for updates.

 

 

Note that this post references CDC "guidelines" not rules or laws.

 

 

[Natai Beach]

Another good policy that should help spread the virus even more.

 

[Inala]

20 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

USA number 1 in virus cases and deaths yet they want to shorten quarantine time. Nice, guess the freedom is just too great to for people to take 14 days at least just to be safe. Go for the 10 days and see. Oh how about 7 days and promise to behave for 7 more,  okay great, wink wink nudge nudge. Liberty and freedom  more important than caution. Yup I understand.  300 thousand deaths will be reached for sure in that country alone.

 

  In Canada that would be almost 10 percent of the population.

Geezer

 

I think you meant 1%?

[Tounge Thaied]

The CDC updated its definition of what constitutes close contact in October to include direct physical contact, sharing food utensils, or exposure of 15 minutes spent six feet (1.83 m)or closer to an infected person.

So... if your with someone infected for 14 mins... no worries. In case you'all haven't figured it out yet, all of this is...^(&*(UY#$@O_#@O#@#P ????

[placeholder]

7 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

The CDC updated its definition of what constitutes close contact in October to include direct physical contact, sharing food utensils, or exposure of 15 minutes spent six feet (1.83 m)or closer to an infected person.

So... if your with someone infected for 14 mins... no worries. In case you'all haven't figured it out yet, all of this is...^(&*(UY#$@O_#@O#@#P ????

Nonsense. It's not that you have to spend at least 15 minutes with each infected person. A cumulative exposure of 15 minutes to various infected people amounts to the same thing. You know, like in an indoor political rally.