According to the CDC, the change is driven by well-known scientific evidence, which demonstrates that most transmission of the Sars-CoV-2 virus occurs early in the course of the disease, “usually 1 or 2 days before the onset of symptoms and 2 or 3 days later”.
“People with a positive test must isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they can leave isolation if they can continue to wear a mask for another 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting other people,” says the agency’s statement.
In addition to isolating those infected, the CDC has also updated the quarantine period for those exposed to the Covid-19 virus.
The body reinforces that the ideal measure for all individuals who have suffered some exposure is testing on the fifth day after contact with the infected.
Anyway, specific guidelines are given for those who are vaccinated with a booster dose and those who are not vaccinated or with a delayed second dose. Those who took the third dose, says the CDC, do not need to remain in quarantine, but they are asked to wear a mask in all situations for 10 days.
For those unvaccinated or those with a missed dose, the CDC recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by “strict mask use” for an additional 5 days. If the quarantine needs to be broken, the CDC says it is “mandatory” that an exposed person wear a “well-fitting” mask at all times for 10 days after exposure.
“Both updates come as the omicron variant continues to spread across the US and reflect current science about when and for how long a person is maximally infected,” the text says.
Incentive to booster vaccination
The CDC ends the note citing data from South Africa and the United Kingdom that demonstrate that the third dose of the vaccine against Covid brings relevant boost against coronavirus infection. In the country, only mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, are used, in addition to Janssen’s vaccine.
According to the CDC, the effectiveness of two doses of mRNA vaccines is approximately 35%, but a booster dose restores the vaccine’s effectiveness against infection to 75%.
“Covid-19 vaccination reduces the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death. The CDC strongly encourages vaccination with COVID-19 for all people age 5 and older and boosters for all people age 16 and older. Vaccination is the best way to protect ourselves and reduce the impact of COVID-19 in our communities”, says the statement.
