CDC cuts COVID quarantine recommendation

The two week quarantine is over – mostly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday announced new recommendations for the amount of time people should quarantine when exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Recommendation: The CDC now says people exposed to COVID-19 should quarantine for seven to ten days. Someone who doesn’t develop symptoms should quarantine for ten days; someone who tests negative for the coronavirus only needs to quarantine for one week.

The CDC says a 14-day quarantine is still the safest option for people who have been exposed to the coronavirus, but recognizes that is difficult for many people to adhere to.

“Reducing the length of quarantine may make it easier for people to take this critical public health action by reducing the economic hardship associated with a longer period, especially if they cannot work during that time,” said Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC’s incident manager for its COVID-19 response in a conference call with reporters.

He said people should still be on the watch for symptoms of the coronavirus for the full 14-day period. Symptoms include a cough, fever, shortness of breath, and a loss of taste or smell.

You can read more on NPR.