Breaking News:

HEALTH

Washington Post: CDC to ease Covid-19 isolation guidance

Feb 13, 2024, 2:52 PM

cdc sign shown, the agency updated its covid guidelines...

(Tami Chappell/Reuters/FILE)

(Tami Chappell/Reuters/FILE)

(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to shift its Covid-19 isolation guidance this spring to say that people no longer need to isolate once they have been fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are mild or improving, according to the Washington Post.

The Post cited four unnamed agency officials and said the planned shift was discussed internally last week and in a briefing with state health officials.

The CDC said there were no changes to the agency’s isolation guidelines to announce “at this time.”

“We will continue to make decisions based on the best evidence and science to keep communities healthy and safe,” said Dave Daigle, a spokesperson for the CDC.

Since 2021, the agency has said people should isolate for at least five days if they tested positive for Covid-19, and then continue to mask. The updated guidance would bring Covid-19 in line with guidance for other respiratory viruses, such as flu.

CNN previously reported that California and Oregon had recently broken with CDC’s guidance to say that people who test positive for Covid-19 are no longer expected to isolate for a set period of time — and those without symptoms don’t have to isolate at all.

The science around Covid-19 transmission hasn’t changed, but experts broadly agreed after the California and Oregon changes that easing isolation timeframes won’t significantly increase community transmission or severe outcomes, in part because the virus has been circulating at very high levels, even with more restrictive guidance in place.

Some infectious disease experts said the change made sense because it would align with what many Americans already do.

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, cited the latest coronavirus variant, JN.1, as a case in point.

“It’s producing a lot of mild infection. Lots of people are not even testing,” he said.

If they test positive, people aren’t really following strict guidelines for isolation anymore.

“Once they feel better, they’re going back to their normal activities. They are not rigorously putting themselves in isolation for five days,” Schaffner said.

Other experts also agreed that the update was prudent.

“Given the increased amount of immunity to Covid-19 in the population, access to treatment for Covid-19 and reductions in hospitalizations and deaths, it seems reasonable for the CDC to adapt our national strategies,” said Dr. Clay Marsh, West Virginia’s Covid-19 czar.

“Currently, many of our citizens are no longer testing for Covid-19 and are not actively isolating,” Marsh said. “With the caveat of the risk of long Covid and the potential for mortality in the elderly and immunocompromised, the future guidance by CDC meets the standard we are seeing.”

Not everyone thinks the possible change is a good idea, however, noting that it would just greenlight more transmission of the infection.

“This is a reckless policy change that will only serve to promote more spread of Covid and Long Covid,” Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said in an email. Topol co-authored one of the first reviews of asymptomatic Covid-19 infections.

Wastewater surveillance data published by the CDC suggests that Covid-19 is still circulating at high levels across the US, but the agency notes that “infections are causing severe disease less frequently than earlier in the pandemic.”

Still, tens of thousands of people are hospitalized with Covid-19 and hundreds of people die from the virus each week. There were about 21,000 Covid-19 hospitalizations during the week ending February 3, according to the latest CDC data. That’s about 20% lower than this time last year but more than three times more than the low point from this summer.

CNN’s Deidre McPhillips and Meg Tirrell contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Health

Andrew Adams

Utah bill aims to provide comprehensive cancer screenings to firefighters

A measure on Utah’s Capitol Hill aims to provide comprehensive cancer screenings to the state’s firefighters.

2 hours ago

Nutritious food...

Michelle Lee

Nutritious food is good for your mood

Let’s Get Moving Host Maria Shilaos spoke with Gabriela Murza with USU's HEART Initiative to learn how nutritious food can improve our mental health.

13 hours ago

FILE - People wave signs to passing cars during a pro-transgender rights protest outside of Seattle...

LEA SKENE Associated Press

Federal judge pauses President Trump’s order restricting gender-affirming care for trans youth

Trumps order blocks support for gender-affirming health care for transgender people under age 19.

3 days ago

A bill that would have eliminated cost-sharing from follow-up breast cancer examinations is now on ...

Allessandra Harris Gurr

Utah bill to expand breast cancer coverage put on hold

A bill that would have eliminated cost-sharing from follow-up breast cancer examinations is now on hold.

4 days ago

Respiratory illnesses such as the flu, COVID-19, and RSV are on the rise across the U.S....

Michelle Lee

Simple ways to keep respiratory illnesses away

Let’s Get Moving Host Maria Shilaos spoke with Nicole Henry with CVS to learn what we can do to protect ourselves from respiratory illnesses.

8 days ago

Kaysville City officials confirmed that the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District had added water ...

Simone Seikaly

Kaysville City tells residents why water smells like chlorine

Weber officials recently added water from groundwater wells, which, because of extra processing, created the chlorine smell.

10 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Filing taxes online using a computer...

The Law Offices of Jordan F. Wilcox

Tax time is approaching. What to do if you have debilitating IRS debt

Is the IRS threatening you with wage garnishment, asset seizure or business closure? Here are some ideas to resolve your tax dilemma.

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

Washington Post: CDC to ease Covid-19 isolation guidance