CDC plans to drop five-day covid isolation guidelines

[Social Media]

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set to introduce new guidelines that will significantly alter the approach to Covid-19 isolation in the United States. Under the proposed changes, individuals who test positive for the coronavirus will no longer be required to automatically stay home from work or school for a five-day period, marking a notable departure from previous recommendations.

 

The revised guidelines aim to align Covid-19 isolation protocols with those for other respiratory illnesses, such as flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). The CDC acknowledges that the pandemic landscape has evolved significantly since the virus emerged four years ago, with a substantial portion of the population having acquired immunity through vaccination or prior infection. This shift towards a more pragmatic approach reflects the changing reality and aims to maximize adherence to public health recommendations.

 

According to the new guidance, individuals who test positive for Covid-19 can end their isolation period based on clinical symptoms rather than a predetermined timeframe. Specifically, if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication and their symptoms are mild and improving, they may resume normal activities. This approach, akin to current flu-related guidance, emphasizes symptom monitoring and recovery as indicators for ending isolation.

 

The proposed changes come amidst recognition that existing isolation guidelines have seen limited compliance, with few individuals adhering to recommendations that have remained largely unchanged since December 2021. The decision to reduce the isolation period from 10 to five days last year aimed to mitigate disruptions to essential services amid surging infections driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

 

However, the anticipated loosening of isolation guidance has prompted concerns from certain quarters, particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and those suffering from long Covid. Critics argue that downplaying Covid-19's severity and treating it akin to other respiratory illnesses could undermine efforts to combat the pandemic and protect public health.

 

Despite the availability of vaccines and treatments like Paxlovid, vaccine uptake remains suboptimal, and Covid-19 infections continue to pose a significant burden on healthcare systems. While hospitalization and mortality rates have declined from peak levels, the virus remains a potent threat, especially among unvaccinated or high-risk populations.

 

The proposed changes align with evolving global trends in isolation recommendations, with several countries having already adjusted their guidelines to reflect the shifting pandemic landscape. The move towards symptom-based guidance and reduced isolation periods seeks to strike a balance between protecting public health and minimizing societal disruptions.

 

As the CDC prepares to release the updated guidance for public feedback, the debate surrounding Covid-19 isolation underscores the ongoing challenges in navigating the pandemic's complexities while safeguarding public health and societal well-being.

 

14.02.24

Source

 

[impulse]

Gotta say.  They've changed the goalposts so often that I didn't even know how long I was supposed to isolate.  Which was okay, because I never got Covid in the USA.  And with 4% of the world's population and 16% of the world's Covid deaths, I don't know why anyone would listed to the CDC or the FDA anyway. 

 

Especially since the USA is the most expensive healthcare system in the world and mediocre results at best.

 

But I envision a bunch of knobs in meetings for weeks on end, sweating to hash out each word.

 

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Gotta say.  They've changed the goalposts so often that I didn't even know how long I was supposed to isolate.  Which was okay, because I never got Covid in the USA.  And with 4% of the world's population and 16% of the world's Covid deaths, I don't know why anyone would listed to the CDC or the FDA anyway. 

 

Especially since the USA is the most expensive healthcare system in the world and mediocre results at best.

 

But I envision a bunch of knobs in meetings for weeks on end, sweating to hash out each word.

 

So you don't know and don't care but managed to get a rant in.

[stats]

CDC drops 5-day isolation guidance for Covid-19, moving away from key strategy to quell infections

March 1, 2024

 

(CNN) -- People who test positive for Covid-19 no longer need to routinely stay away from others for at least five days, according to new guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Friday. The change ends a strategy from earlier in the pandemic that experts said has been important to controlling the spread of the infection.

 

The agency says it’s updating its recommendations for Covid-19 to bring them in line with its advice for other kinds of respiratory infections, including influenza and RSV. Offering a single set of unified guidance will make people more likely to follow it, agency experts said in a news briefing Friday.

 

Namely, the CDC now says people who have Covid-19 should stay home until they’ve been fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours and their symptoms have been improving for 24 hours.

 

(more)

 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/01/health/cdc-covid-isolation-recommendations/index.html

 

 

 

 

"For people with COVID-19 and influenza, treatment is available and can lessen symptoms and lower the risk of severe illness. The recommendations suggest returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.

 

Once people resume normal activities, they are encouraged to take additional prevention strategies for the next 5 days to curb disease spread, such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses."

 

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0301-respiratory-virus.html

 

 

[Robert Paulson]

So it’s the flu, even by cdc’s account. You cannot make it up any longer. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 hours ago, Robert Paulson said:

So it’s the flu, even by cdc’s account. You cannot make it up any longer. 

 

No, COVID is NOT the flu, and the CDC here isn't saying it is...

 

They ARE saying that their new policy for recommended isolation after infection is going to be to have the same isolation guidelines for COVID, the flu and the RSV virus.

 

And for those who need some reminder explanation of how and why COVID and the flu are not the same, using U.S. data as an example:

 

Why Are We Still Flu-ifying COVID?

The diseases are nowhere near the same.

...

"In 2023, COVID hospitalized more than 900,000 Americans and killed 75,000; the worst flu season of the past decade hospitalized 200,000 fewer people and resulted in 23,000 fewer deaths. A recent CDC survey reported that more than 5 percent of American adults are currently experiencing long COVID, which cannot be fully prevented by vaccination or treatment, and for which there is no cure."

 

https://archive.is/9wY9Z

 

[Robert Paulson]

19 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

No, COVID is NOT the flu, and the CDC here isn't saying it is...

 

They ARE saying that their new policy for recommended isolation after infection is going to be to have the same isolation guidelines for COVID, the flu and the RSV virus.

 

And for those who need some reminder explanation of how and why COVID and the flu are not the same, using U.S. data as an example:

 

Why Are We Still Flu-ifying COVID?

The diseases are nowhere near the same.

...

"In 2023, COVID hospitalized more than 900,000 Americans and killed 75,000; the worst flu season of the past decade hospitalized 200,000 fewer people and resulted in 23,000 fewer deaths. A recent CDC survey reported that more than 5 percent of American adults are currently experiencing long COVID, which cannot be fully prevented by vaccination or treatment, and for which there is no cure."

 

https://archive.is/9wY9Z

 

“Treat is like the flu”. You can blather away all you want. But that’s what the cdc says, an organization that falls heavily on the side of strict covid policies mind you. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

"COVID-19 and influenza are different diseases caused by different viruses."

 

"COVID-19 and seasonal influenza (flu) are both infectious respiratory viral infections. While some of their signs and symptoms are similar there are some important differences between them such as their ability to cause disease in different population groups. COVID-19 and flu are caused by two different kinds of viruses, their signs and symptoms and groups at risk of severe complications are similar but not entirely the same."

 

https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-similarities-and-differences-with-influenza

 

"

What's the difference between COVID-19 and the flu?

COVID-19 and flu causes

COVID-19 and the flu are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, while flu is caused by influenza A and B viruses."

 

COVID-19 and flu spread and severity

COVID-19 appears to be contagious for a longer time and to spread more quickly than the flu. With COVID-19, you may be more likely to experience loss of taste or smell.

 

Severe illness is more frequent with COVID-19 than with the flu. Compared with historical flu cases, COVID-19 may cause more hospital stays and death for people age 18 and older, even those who have no other health challenges."

 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vs-flu/art-20490339

 

All the U.S. CDC did here was to shorten their post infection isolation recommendation for COVID cases, and make that recommendation the same as its existing ones for the flu and RSV virus. Nothing else.

 

From the prior CNN report weblinked above:

 

(CNN) -- People who test positive for Covid-19 no longer need to routinely stay away from others for at least five days, according to new guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Friday. The change ends a strategy from earlier in the pandemic that experts said has been important to controlling the spread of the infection.

 

The agency says it’s updating its recommendations for Covid-19 to bring them in line with its advice for other kinds of respiratory infections, including influenza and RSV. Offering a single set of unified guidance will make people more likely to follow it, agency experts said in a news briefing Friday."

 

 

[stats]

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