The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today updated its COVID-19 guidance, which deemphasizes distancing measures and focuses on protecting the most vulnerable groups.The CDC said it simplified the guidance now that there are tools for reducing the severity of the disease and cutting the number of hospitalizations and deaths.
The nation is in the midst of ongoing elevated activity from the BA.5 Omicron subvariant, with deaths that have slowly trended upward over the past week.Easing disruptions, moving ahead with more tools and knowledgeGreta Massetti, PhD, MPH, senior scientist at the CDC, said, "We're in a stronger place today as a nation, with more tools—like vaccination, boosters, and treatments—to protect ourselves, and our communities, from severe illness from COVID-19." She also emphasized that health officials have a better understanding of how to protect people, such as wearing high-quality masks, testing, and improving ventilation.Massetti is one of the authors who published a summary of the guidance today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)."This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives," Massetti said.Simplified measures for contacts, infected peopleOne of the biggest changes is quarantine guidance for people exposed to the virus.
Instead of quarantining, the CDC recommends wearing a high-quality mask, watching for symptoms for 10 days, and getting tested on the fifth day.People who are mildly sick with COVID-19 should still isolate for at least 5 days while wearing a high-quality mask.