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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its recommendation for the duration of time that people who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate themselves, shortening the window from ten days to five.
“Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others,” the CDC said in a statement Monday.
The change came about because the science indicates the majority of COVID-19 transmission takes place early in the course of the illness, “generally in the 1-2 days prior to the onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after,” the statement said.
The CDC also updated the time it recommends those directly exposed to COVID-19, but who have not necessarily contracted the virus, isolate themselves. It recommends that unvaccinated individuals and those more than six months out from their second shot of an mRNA vaccine, typically Pfizer or Moderna, be advised to quarantine for five days, followed by five more days of strict mask use.
Vaccinated individuals who have received a booster shot do not need to quarantine after being exposed but should wear a mask around other individuals for 10 days. If symptoms occur, the CDC recommends they quarantine until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result.
Cases have surged as a result of the more transmissible Omicron variant, with the CDC acknowledging in the statement that two doses of an mRNA vaccine is about 35% effective in protecting individuals from infection, based on data from South Africa and the U.K. A booster shot raises protection against infection to 75%, the CDC said.
“CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. “These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives.”
