The CDC recently released new guidelines, leaving some people more confused than ever.
I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve been feeling a little discombobulated about this whole pandemic. Initially, it was pretty cut and dry; there was a worldwide pandemic threatening health globally and we all needed to stay indoors to help flatten the curve. When vaccines became a viable solution, the world opened up again and people started walking around maskless.
The variants complicated matters, but being vaccinated and/or boosted became the new norm. Now however, the Omicron variant is overwhelming hospitals everywhere, and spreading even between vaccinated people. So naturally, people are a little confused about what they should or shouldn’t do, and the politics behind it all make it even more complicated and confusing.
On January 4th, the Centers for Disease Control released new quarantine guidelines, which shortened the recommended isolation time. Here is what you need to know:
-If you are positive, but asymptomatic, you can leave isolation after 5 days.
-If your symptoms are improving, and you haven’t had a fever for 24 hours, you can leave isolation.
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-If you have access to a rapid test, and test positive, you should remain isolated for five more days.
-If you test negative, you can leave your home but are encouraged to wear a mask for 10 days.
-If you are in a high-risk setting (cruise ships, nursing homes, homeless shelters, correctional facilities etc..) you should isolate for 10 days after exposure.
When it comes to Covid, I say it’s better to be safe than sorry. I know it’s complicated because people don’t want to go back to global quarantines, or having to wear masks all the time. That being said, we are still in the midst of a global health threat, so we need to dig deep and access our compassion. Wearing a mask and isolating may not be a picnic, but it beats being responsible for someone else’s hospitalization or death.