CDC Loosens COVID Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has loosened its COVID-19 safety recommendations, a sign of how much the state of the pandemic in the United States has changed since its genesis over two years ago.

The agency no longer recommends that people exposed to COVID-19 who are not up to date with their vaccine doses enter quarantine. Instead, those people should wear a mask for 10 days in indoor settings and test on day five. The new guidance also eliminates quarantine recommendations and the “test to stay” policy for schools and early childcare programs, which requires unvaccinated students exposed to COVID-19 to stay in school rather than quarantine as long as their tests come back negative.

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“We’re in a stronger place today as a nation, with more tools — like vaccination, boosters, and treatments — to protect ourselves, and our communities, from severe illness from COVID-19,” said Dr. Greta Massetti, a co-author of the updated guidance.

The updated guidance reflects the understanding that COVID-19 is around for the long haul. While COVID-19 is still circulating, the U.S. is in a completely different position now when it comes to dealing with outbreaks compared to the frenzied response in early 2020.

“We also have a better understanding of how to protect people from being exposed to the virus, like wearing high-quality masks, testing, and improved ventilation,” Massetti said. “This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.”

The agency recommends that people take precautions proportionate to the level of risk that they will become seriously ill if infected. Unvaccinated people who have had close contact with an infected person are no longer advised to quarantine for five days as long as they have not tested positive or begun showing symptoms. Previous guidance had allowed only those exposed to the virus who were up to date with vaccines to skip the quarantine period. The new guidance also does away with blanket recommendations that people be tested in most settings.

“All persons should seek testing for active infection when they are symptomatic or if they have a known or suspected exposure to someone with COVID-19,” the CDC guidance says. “When considering whether and where to implement screening testing of asymptomatic persons with no known exposure, public health officials might consider prioritizing high-risk congregate settings… with limited access to medical care.”

Some earlier safety recommendations will remain in place. For example, people with COVID-19 are advised to isolate for at least five days, depending on how sick they are. If people leave isolation on day five, they are advised to wear a mask through day 10 or test negative twice over 48 hours before they remove their masks.

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After more than two years of living through a global pandemic, the vast majority of the public has gained some measure of protection against severe illness through vaccination, recovery from a previous infection, or a combination of the two. Highly effective treatments are now available as well.