{"id":2776,"date":"2022-01-20T11:20:28","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T11:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=2776"},"modified":"2022-01-20T11:20:28","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T11:20:28","slug":"public-health-experts-worry-about-cdcs-shortened-isolation-time-following-exposure-to-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=2776","title":{"rendered":"PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS WORRY ABOUT CDC\u2019S SHORTENED ISOLATION TIME FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO COVID"},"content":{"rendered":"

By SUNITA SOHRABJI\/EMS Contributing Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Public health experts are expressing concern about new Centers for Disease Control guidelines which shorten by half the isolation time after an individual is exposed to Covid.<\/p>\n

The CDC issued its revised guidelines on Dec. 27, recommending that people who have tested positive for Covid isolate for five days, down from the previous 10-day requirement. \u00a0If they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving, (without a fever for 24 hours, for example), they must follow isolation by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others.<\/p>\n

No additional testing is required before ending isolation, and the CDC did not define what \u201cresolving\u201d symptoms might be.<\/p>\n

People who have been exposed to someone with Covid can simply mask for 10 days if they have been boosted, or taken the first set of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months, or completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months. A test is recommended on the 5th<\/sup>\u00a0day after exposure.<\/p>\n

Those who are unvaccinated or have not yet received a booster if they are eligible must isolate at home for five days \u2014 also down from the previous requirement of 10 \u2014 after which they must wear a mask around others for an additional five days. A test is recommended on day 5.<\/p>\n

Unvaccinated people who have been exposed to Covid but cannot quarantine are required to wear a mask when around others.<\/p>\n

In an interview with the PBS NewsHour on Dec. 28, Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, Director of Health at the City of St. Louis, Missouri Department of Health said public confusion over the new guidelines is warranted. \u201cThe job now is on the CDC, on the federal government, and on local health officials to make sure that people understand the science and can make that transition,\u201d she said, noting that implementation of the changes will be slow because many municipalities do not have the funding to support the recommended testing on the fifth day.<\/p>\n

Home testing kits are in short supply.<\/p>\n

Social media exploded as the new guidelines were announced, with some tweeters accusing the CDC of putting corporate profit over best public health practices. Of particular concern is the fact that a follow-up negative test is not required before leaving isolation, leaving individuals to decide for themselves whether their symptoms have resolved.<\/p>\n

The new guidelines were announced even as the US faces a surge of Covid infections from the Omicron and Delta variants, with an estimated 265,000 new cases per day, with 75,000 hospitalizations and 1,500 daily deaths.<\/p>\n

\u201cMUDDIEST GUIDELINE EVER!\u201d tweeted Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, Senior Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. \u201cTell me what\u2019s wrong with this CDC rule: it says you can simply leave the house if \u2018your symptoms are resolving.\u2019 In what universe is that considered a clear guideline? It\u2019s dangerously muddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will definitely abuse that vagueness to be blas\u00e9 and ignore isolation. Businesses will abuse it too \u2014 to the detriment of public health,\u201d said Feigl-Ding.<\/p>\n

The epidemiologist also noted that the Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 28 announced that rapid antigen tests are less sensitive for detecting Omicron variant infections. \u201cThis could mean we are missing a lot more COVID19. I know many families with everyone having symptoms but (not testing) positive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jerome Adams, who served as US Surgeon General during the Trump Administration and now serves as the Health Equity Director at Purdue, tweeted: \u201cRegardless of what CDC says, you really should try to obtain an antigen test (I know: easier said than done) and confirm it is negative prior to leaving isolation and quarantine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not a scientist or doctor I\u2019ve met yet who wouldn\u2019t do this for themselves, and their family,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of Brown University\u2019s School of Public Health, said that the new CDC guidelines were \u201ca step in the right direction,\u201d but fell somewhat short.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile new CDC isolation guidelines are reasonable, here\u2019s what I would have done differently,\u201d he tweeted. \u201cRequired a negative antigen test after 5 days; had different guidelines for vaccinated (contagious for a shorter time) versus unvaccinated, and specified higher quality masks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe critique appears to be that people won\u2019t follow CDC guidelines; that they will stop isolating after 5 days even with symptoms and\/or not wear a mask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. That will happen for some. But shorter isolation means a lower barrier to test\/isolate, which will motivate others to test,\u201d stated Jha.<\/p>\n

The CDC\u2019s new guidelines can be read here: https:\/\/to.pbs.org\/3mGW08K<\/p>\n

Source: Ethnic Media Services<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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