How Long Should You Isolate With COVID-19? Experts Are Split

Since 2021, people with COVID-19 have been told to isolate themselves for at least five days to avoid spreading the disease. But that practice may soon join most mask mandates as relics of the peak pandemic era. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is said to be weighing a new, symptom-based approach to isolation for the general public, the Washington Post reported on Feb. 13. Under that potential approach, which may be rolled out for public feedback this spring, people could leave home when their symptoms are mild and improving and they’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication, according to the Post. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] That possible shift, which echoes similar moves in California and Oregon, would bring the CDC’s recommendations for COVID-19 in closer step with its guidance on the flu. When people are sick with the flu, the CDC recommends they stay home until at least 24 hours after their fever has broken naturally, or until other symptoms clear—which the agency says can take up to five days. A CDC representative did not confirm or deny the Post’s report when asked by TIME. The agency has “no updates to COVID guidelines to announce at this time,” the representative wrote in an email. “We will continue to make decisions based on the best evidence and science to keep communities healthy and safe.” While the shift is not yet official, experts have previ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 healthscienceclimate Source Type: news