CDC Changes COVID-19 Guidance, Drops 5-Day Quarantine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced updated guidance for COVID-19 on Friday, dropping the previously recommended 5-day isolation period. 

Details: The new guidance aligns COVID-19 precaution measures with other respiratory viruses such as influenza. The new guidance suggests “returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.” Additionally, people are encouraged to “take additional prevention strategies for the next 5 days to curb disease spread, such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses.”

Key Quotes: CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen stated, “Today’s announcement reflects the progress we’ve made in protecting against severe illness from COVID. We’re in a different situation, but we must use the tools that work to protect against respiratory virus” Dr. Brendan Jackson, head of the respiratory virus response for the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, stated Friday, “Covid-19 is still an important public health threat, but it is not the emergency that it once was.”

How the Media Covered It: While most coverage simply outlined the new recommendations and noted declining COVID-19 case numbers, CNN (Lean Left bias) included dissenting opinions on the guidance changes, quoting doctors arguing the new recommendations do not properly address COVID-19’s continued public health threat.