Staying Updated with COVID-19
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Recent discoveries with the Coronavirus have resulted in changing policies, guidelines, and information regarding the virus and its variants. The newest variant to emerge, Omicron, resulted in a wide breakout affecting many. According to the CDC, the “Omicron variant likely will spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and how easily Omicron spreads compared to Delta remains unknown. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.” However, more data is needed to know if the variant infections, especially in people who are fully vaccinated, cause more severe illness or death than the other variants. Officials suggest following standard COVID-19 policies to prevent possible infections and/or spreading. For more information on the Omicron variant, you can go to the Omicron variant webpage on the CDC’s website.
With what is currently known about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, the CDC has shortened the recommended time for isolation. Those that are “infected with COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that most SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.”
In addition to this change, the CDC is also updating the recommended period for quarantine for those in the public who become exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated and/or have not received the booster shot, the CDC now recommends quarantining for 5 days. This should be followed by strict mask use for another 5 days after. Those who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine after exposure. However, they should wear a mask for 10 days after they were exposed. For all those exposed, it is heavily recommended to take a test 5 days after exposure. If there are symptoms present, people should go into quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not due to COVID-19.
With many people having traveled due to the holidays, as well as college students going to and from school, the CDC recommends isolating to make sure one is not possibly carrying COVID-19 or any variant. They strongly suggest this since isolation for 5 days, which should then be followed by wearing a well-fitting mask, will lower the risk of spreading the virus.
The CDC shares that “these updates come as the Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the U.S. and reflects the current knowledge and science on when and for how long a person is infectious. These recommendations do not supersede state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, nor do they apply to healthcare workers for whom CDC has updated guidance.” For more information or any questions, visit the CDC website.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/forecasting/mathematical-modeling-outbreak.html
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html