CDC Eases Covid Guidelines

[Sinder]

Time to re-write my protocol again I guess.
Sounds like this was in part due to herd immunity being reached, if I understood the brief news story I caught about it. I will need to sit down and read the new recommendations completely and go from there.

Thanks for posting -

We won't reach heard immunity because the vaccine does not make you immune.

 

[Christine]

They still advise wearing a mask for those additional 5 days and suggest testing on the 5th day. Testing negative especially twice is more on a confidence level you are less likely to spread it but wearing a mask around others (not just in public but around those in your household most especially if there were concerns of immunocomprised/higher risk) and avoiding travel ups that confidence.

We're in this boat right now, my husband tested negative day 5 and day 6 but is still largely isolating in the room he was in and is still wearing a mask around me. 10 days is end of 8/14. He's opted to work from home beyond the 5 days. If he had to go into the office he'd be wearing a mask.

Yeah, the whole 5 days thing is confusing. I didn't get a negative rapid test until Day 12 (still had significant symptoms). My DH had minimal symptoms and didn't get a negative until Day 14. I note that our president was kept in isolation from others until he got 2 negative tests. Yet, I guess we're all supposed to be-bop into work after Day 5 (although the recommendation is you don't do that without masking, which no one will listen to). I realize it's all here to stay and we've got to live with it, but I'm trapped for at least 8 hours in a building with people, with very little good ventilation. I'd prefer they had some better rules (that people would follow) about that situation and having a positive test. I really don't want this constant exposure at work since there appears to be very little lasting immunity.

 

[Disneychick13]

They still advise wearing a mask for those additional 5 days and suggest testing on the 5th day. Testing negative especially twice is more on a confidence level you are less likely to spread it but wearing a mask around others (not just in public but around those in your household most especially if there were concerns of immunocomprised/higher risk) and avoiding travel ups that confidence.

We're in this boat right now, my husband tested negative day 5 and day 6 but is still largely isolating in the room he was in and is still wearing a mask around me. 10 days is end of 8/14. He's opted to work from home beyond the 5 days. If he had to go into the office he'd be wearing a mask.

From the official CDC website:

“Persons who have access to antigen tests and who choose to use testing to determine when they can discontinue masking should wait to take the first test until at least day 6 and they are without a fever for ≥24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and all other symptoms have improved. Use of two antigen tests with ≥48 hours between tests provides more reliable information because of improved test sensitivity (24). Two consecutive test results must be negative for persons to discontinue masking.”

I mean it’s fine to do whatever, I’m just saying what the guidance says. I actually have covid right now and tomorrow is day 6 so I have been paying close attention.

 

[Disneychick13]

There is actually a really nice flowchart on the cdc website that is very clear. Now that is for people with a positive result. I don’t think anything is clear about what to do if you are exposed to someone in your household. When would you do the home tests? After they person you were exposed to finishes their isolation period?

 

[easyas123]

We won't reach heard immunity because the vaccine does not make you immune.

I don't argue that, as I mentioned it was just a blip on the news I heard - "if I understood the brief news story I caught about it" was what I typed
Never said the vaccine made anyone immune.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

From the official CDC website:

“Persons who have access to antigen tests and who choose to use testing to determine when they can discontinue masking should wait to take the first test until at least day 6 and they are without a fever for ≥24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and all other symptoms have improved. Use of two antigen tests with ≥48 hours between tests provides more reliable information because of improved test sensitivity (24). Two consecutive test results must be negative for persons to discontinue masking.”

I mean it’s fine to do whatever, I’m just saying what the guidance says. I actually have covid right now and tomorrow is day 6 so I have been paying close attention.

That's not the same as their press release from yesterday https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0811-covid-guidance.html

• Recommending that if you test positive for COVID-19, you stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days. Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public.
  • If after 5 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 5.
  • 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.
  • You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10

That isn't any different than before.

My comment was in relation to you talking about masking and reducing it.

 

[mom2rtk]

They need people to get back to work... I guess the economy matters more than health.

Is there evidence that these changes sacrifice someone’s health?

And yes, the economy needs some consideration.

 

[Sinder]

Is there evidence that these changes sacrifice someone’s health?

And yes, the economy needs some consideration.

And people's personal financial situation needs to be considered.
My dh's work has a policy that if you are exposed you have to stay at home for 5 days. Well 3 of us all ended up with COVID about a week apart from each other. Everytime one of us ended up with it dh was supposed to stay home for 5 days, that equals 3 weeks of work. He stayed home for the first 5 days after his first exposure but not for the 2nd time he was exposed. He did stay home again when I exposed him.
He never ended up getting it so it was all for nothing.
His made sure to get the OK from his boss and he kept testing the whole time. Fortunately he is a salaried employee so if he had to stay home for 3 weeks, it wouldn't have been a financial burden. There are others who work in his building that are not thought. Not everyone can afford to be out of work that long for just a chance that they are sick. What happens when they end up negative only to catch it a month or 2 later and then have to take more time off. Workplaces and employees can't sustain that kind of policy.

We have got to learn to live with it. For the majority of people it is a mild illness. For those who have underlying issues, or are just afraid to get it then continue getting boosters. At some point though it's going to be treated like a cold or flu in terms of exposure, we can't keep ourselves locked up because we may have it.

 

[Disneychick13]

That's not the same as their press release from yesterday https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0811-covid-guidance.html

• Recommending that if you test positive for COVID-19, you stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days. Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public.
  • If after 5 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 5.
  • 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.
  • You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10

That isn't any different than before.

My comment was in relation to you talking about masking and reducing it.

Gotcha. I have no idea why that CDC report seems the differ.

I was referencing this(where it has a nice flowchart):

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7133e1.htm

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah, the whole 5 days thing is confusing. I didn't get a negative rapid test until Day 12 (still had significant symptoms). My DH had minimal symptoms and didn't get a negative until Day 14. I note that our president was kept in isolation from others until he got 2 negative tests. Yet, I guess we're all supposed to be-bop into work after Day 5 (although the recommendation is you don't do that without masking, which no one will listen to). I realize it's all here to stay and we've got to live with it, but I'm trapped for at least 8 hours in a building with people, with very little good ventilation. I'd prefer they had some better rules (that people would follow) about that situation and having a positive test. I really don't want this constant exposure at work since there appears to be very little lasting immunity.

Yeah it's exhausting at times. The FDA has upped the amount of tests recommend for asymptomatic people of a known exposure. 3 tests is now recommended vs 2 over time to try and capture more of those positives later on.

My sister-in-law also has covid, her boyfriend got it last Saturday and Monday or Tuesday she tested positive, they couldn't isolate the same way my husband could because of how their house is set up.

Back when they made the 5 day thing our testing supply was quite low on the other hand omicron was not there or hadn't blown up. Timing is so weird since it varies person to person but they made the recommendation on the highest amount of people that would be non-contagious at that point but we do know some are after that 5 days.

*sigh* yeah exhausting.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Gotcha. I have no idea why that CDC report seems the differ.

I was referencing this(where it has a nice flowchart):

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7133e1.htm

yeah I feel like echoing my above comment..exhausting lol.

 

[elgerber]

Yeah, the whole 5 days thing is confusing. I didn't get a negative rapid test until Day 12 (still had significant symptoms). My DH had minimal symptoms and didn't get a negative until Day 14. I note that our president was kept in isolation from others until he got 2 negative tests. Yet, I guess we're all supposed to be-bop into work after Day 5 (although the recommendation is you don't do that without masking, which no one will listen to). I realize it's all here to stay and we've got to live with it, but I'm trapped for at least 8 hours in a building with people, with very little good ventilation. I'd prefer they had some better rules (that people would follow) about that situation and having a positive test. I really don't want this constant exposure at work since there appears to be very little lasting immunity.

Agreed. I didn't test negative until day 16 even though my symptoms were very mild and my fever were gone by day 4 after testing positive. I still slept separately, and masked in the house. We at outside and then I went back up into my room for the night.

 

[sam_gordon]

Fortunately he is a salaried employee so if he had to stay home for 3 weeks, it wouldn't have been a financial burden.

Sorry, I don't understand what his being a salaried employee would have had to do with it.

For us, if you had to quarantine (whether from exposure or actual positive test), you choices would be to either work from home (if your job responsibilities allow that, not all do) or take PTO (ie: sick) time. Once you've used your PTO, short term disability could kick in. But this is the same regardless of whether you're hourly or salary.

 

[tink2424]

It is about time... So happy that the guidelines have changed and now we can continue to get back to normal. COVID is here with us now for the future. We just have to live with it like we do other coronaviruses and the flu.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

And people's personal financial situation needs to be considered.
My dh's work has a policy that if you are exposed you have to stay at home for 5 days. Well 3 of us all ended up with COVID about a week apart from each other. Everytime one of us ended up with it dh was supposed to stay home for 5 days, that equals 3 weeks of work. He stayed home for the first 5 days after his first exposure but not for the 2nd time he was exposed. He did stay home again when I exposed him.
He never ended up getting it so it was all for nothing.
His made sure to get the OK from his boss and he kept testing the whole time. Fortunately he is a salaried employee so if he had to stay home for 3 weeks, it wouldn't have been a financial burden. There are others who work in his building that are not thought. Not everyone can afford to be out of work that long for just a chance that they are sick. What happens when they end up negative only to catch it a month or 2 later and then have to take more time off. Workplaces and employees can't sustain that kind of policy.

We have got to learn to live with it. For the majority of people it is a mild illness. For those who have underlying issues, or are just afraid to get it then continue getting boosters. At some point though it's going to be treated like a cold or flu in terms of exposure, we can't keep ourselves locked up because we may have it.

The CDC hasn't had this guidance for almost a year. So it sounds like your DH workplace is either not up to date on guidance or are being very cautious for some reason (maybe they don't want to be hit with workman's comp claims).

 

[Moliphino]

The CDC hasn't had this guidance for almost a year. So it sounds like your DH workplace is either not up to date on guidance or are being very cautious for some reason (maybe they don't want to be hit with workman's comp claims).

That's been my work's policy for unvaccinated people for quite a while. Vaccinated people didn't have to unless they also tested positive.
We don't have any requirement to test negative before returning to work after a positive test. You stay home for 5 days after a positive test and if fever is gone and symptoms are improved you can come back at that point.

I never had a fever when I had it. My temp was elevated, but never to the official fever level. I was exposed on a Sunday, tested positive on Friday (rapid) and tested positive again on a PCR the next Thursday. I went back to the office the Tuesday after that without testing again. I did wear an N95 for the next couple weeks, too, as I still had a lingering cough.

 

[Dznypal]

I’m more confused now. I just got the dreaded C on tues night thought I had strep which was negative not so lucky on the other test. I was told both by the city health dept and work if symptoms improve and no fever which I never had I could go back to work dayb6. DH does not have to quarantine at all and no tests unless symptoms but now reading on here about more tests and masks I might just stay clocked up until the 10 th day. Boring but less stress. So I guess 10 days is still the magic number

 

[elgerber]

I’m more confused now. I just got the dreaded C on tues night thought I had strep which was negative not so lucky on the other test. I was told both by the city health dept and work if symptoms improve and no fever which I never had I could go back to work dayb6. DH does not have to quarantine at all and no tests unless symptoms but now reading on here about more tests and masks I might just stay clocked up until the 10 th day. Boring but less stress. So I guess 10 days is still the magic number

Guidelines say you can leave isolation after day 5, if you are 24 hour fever free and symptoms improve, but you should still mask for the remainder of the 10 days. All the stuff about additional testing is very unclear, but this is the actual CDC guideline on what do with positive test.

 

[Christine]

I’m more confused now. I just got the dreaded C on tues night thought I had strep which was negative not so lucky on the other test. I was told both by the city health dept and work if symptoms improve and no fever which I never had I could go back to work dayb6. DH does not have to quarantine at all and no tests unless symptoms but now reading on here about more tests and masks I might just stay clocked up until the 10 th day. Boring but less stress. So I guess 10 days is still the magic number

It's the safest number if you are concerned about spreading it around. 10 days might get you close being 100% not infective anymore. I don't think *they* know the magic timeframe. Where I work, the official guidelines are you can come back after 5 days, but we've all made the decision to encourage people to stay home if they are still testing positive. But if a person does not want to stay home, we don't say a word about it (we just keep our distance!! ). I stayed out until I got a negative test. But we are fortunate that we can telework. Understand that not every business can have people out for 10+ days.

 

[Sinder]

Sorry, I don't understand what his being a salaried employee would have had to do with it.

For us, if you had to quarantine (whether from exposure or actual positive test), you choices would be to either work from home (if your job responsibilities allow that, not all do) or take PTO (ie: sick) time. Once you've used your PTO, short term disability could kick in. But this is the same regardless of whether you're hourly or salary.

Well he gets a paycheck regardless whether he’s there or not. He’s also been there over 20 years so has 5 weeks vacation plus personal and sick days.
Hourly employees with limited time off or newer employees that haven’t accrued as much time off aren’t as fortunate.
I assumed people would figure out what I meant without going into details, didn’t mean to confuse.