Headline RoundupDecember 28th, 2021

CDC Shortens COVID-19 Quarantine Guidelines

Summary from the AllSides News Team

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that people who test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic only need to isolate for five days regardless of vaccination status, rather than the 10 days which was previously recommended.

To justify the change, the agency cited "science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after." In addition, the CDC loosened its recommendation for healthcare workers who test positive from 10 days to seven days of isolation. The new guidance comes as the seemingly less severe but more contagious Omicron variant spreads across the country. According to coronavirus data from the New York Times (Lean Left bias), new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are near an all-time high. Hospitalizations have also risen in recent weeks, but are not yet near the levels reached during previous COVID-19 surges in January and September.

The news was covered similarly across the spectrum. Right-rated sources tended to focus more on the evidence that the Omicron variant is less severe than other coronavirus strains.

Featured Coverage of this Story

More headline roundups

More News about Coronavirus from the Left, Center and Right

From the Left

From the Center

From the Right