The CDC announced Aug. 11 that it is streamlining its COVID-19 guidance to “help people better understand their risk, how to protect themselves and others, what actions to take if exposed to COVID-19 and what actions to take if they are sick or test positive for the virus.” The announcement noted “there is significantly less risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death compared to earlier in the pandemic.”
The updated CDC guidance:
- Continues to promote the importance of being up to date with vaccinations to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization and death.
- Updates its guidance for people who are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines on what to do if exposed to someone with COVID-19. This is consistent with the existing guidance for people who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.
- Recommends that instead of quarantining if you were exposed to COVID-19, you wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day five.
- Specifies individuals should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results.
- Specifies, if your results are positive, to follow CDC’s full isolation recommendations; if your results are negative, you can end your isolation.
- Recommends that if you test positive for COVID-19, you stay home for at least five days and isolate from others in your home (this is regardless of vaccination status). You are likely to be most infectious during these first five days. In addition:
- Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public.
- If after five days you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and your symptoms are improving, or you never had symptoms, you may end isolation after day five.
- Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11.
- Wear a high-quality mask through day 10.
- Recommends that if you had moderate illness (if you experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing) or severe illness (you were hospitalized) due to COVID-19 or you have a weakened immune system, you need to isolate through day 10.
- Recommends that if you had severe illness or have a weakened immune system, consult your doctor before ending isolation. Ending isolation without a viral test may not be an option for you. If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance.
- Clarifies that after you have ended isolation, if your COVID-19 symptoms worsen, restart your isolation at day 10. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.
The CDC no longer recommends screening testing of asymptomatic people without known exposures in most community settings. However, they continue to emphasize that physical distance is just one component of how to protect yourself and others, saying it is important to consider the risk in a particular setting, including local COVID-19 Community Levels and the important role of ventilation, when assessing the need to maintain physical distance.
The MI Chamber team is happy to help you and your workplace navigate the updated guidance. Please contact us at info@michamber.com if we can be of assistance.