US CDC Plans to Eliminate Five-Day COVID Isolation Guidelines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly planning to revise its guidelines regarding COVID-19 isolation, potentially eliminating the current five-day isolation recommendation. According to a recent report, the agency intends to suggest that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 make decisions about ending isolation based on their symptoms.

Under the new guidance, individuals with mild and improving symptoms may be able to leave isolation after being fever-free for at least 24 hours. However, these revised recommendations will not apply to hospitals and other healthcare settings that serve vulnerable populations.

The updated guidelines are anticipated to be released in April for public feedback, although government approval is still pending. The CDC has stated that there are no new updates to COVID guidelines at this time, emphasizing that decisions will continue to be based on the latest scientific evidence to ensure community health and safety.

It’s important to note that the isolation guidelines concerning COVID-19 have remained unchanged since December 2021 when the CDC modified the recommended isolation period for asymptomatic cases from ten days to five. As of January 19, recent data from the CDC indicated that nearly 86% of COVID-19 cases in the United States were linked to the JN.1 sub-variant, which has been classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization.