The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC updated guidelines for Covid-19 as the country is no longer at the peak of the pandemic.
CDC announced that the people testing positive for Covid-19 no longer have to isolate themselves at home for five days. However, it recommended people to stay at home when sick, stay up to date with vaccines, practice good hygiene and improve indoor air quality, to avoid the spread of common respiratory viruses.
The agency said that the new policy, updated for the first time since 2021, is meant for people and employers, not for hospitals or nursing homes.
The revised guidelines recommend sick people to stay at home even if they are not sure about which virus is causing the illness. They should only resume activities if they have been healthy without taking any medication for 24 hours.
“Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID19,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen commented. “However, we still must use the commonsense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses—this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick.”
The agency emphasized that Covid-19 is still a serious threat but not an emergency. In 2022, the pandemic had taken away 245,000 lives, whereas the number tumbled to 76,000 in 2023.
“We’re in a different situation, but we must use the tools that work to protect against respiratory viruses,” Cohen said.
Following the announcement of guidelines, many health advocates criticized the agency’s decision. “The CDC is again prioritizing short term business interests over our health by caving to employer pressure on COVID guidelines. This is a pattern we’ve seen throughout the pandemic,” Lara Jirmanus, a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and a member of the People’s CDC said to The Hill.
“This guidance is going to be confusing to people because when they hear it, they’re going to hear, ‘the CDC now says COVID is not a big deal,'” Jirmanus added. “That’s not true. It’s a deadly and disabling virus.”
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