People do not need to self-quarantine for five days after symptoms have subsided.
Those who recover from it COVID-19 According to new guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no need to self-isolate for five days after symptoms subside.
According to the CDC's updated guidance, people with Covid-19 should stay at home and away from others for at least 24 hours after their symptoms clear and they no longer develop a fever.
“Today's announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement. “However, we still need to use common-sense solutions that we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses — including vaccination, treatment and staying home if we get sick.”
During those five days when you feel well and are fever-free, you should still wear a well-fitting mask, stay away from others, get tested and use improved hygiene practices, the CDC said.
The guidelines are for community settings, not a health care setting such as hospitals or nursing homes, which will have the same five-day isolation guideline.
“We want to provide an easy and understandable way for everyone to protect themselves,” Cohen told ABC News about the federal agency dropping the 5-day Covid quarantine recommendations.
“As we put this guidance together, those who are most vulnerable to these viruses are top of mind. We all know someone who is vulnerable, and that's in my own family. So, it's very important to me,” Cohen said.
“Hand hygiene, masking ventilation, using tests… we like to use as additional strategies in the five days after your fever is gone, after your symptoms have improved,” Cohen added.
Cohen said the CDC has found a way to have simple guidelines and protect the vulnerable.
“We know that if things are simple, people remember it and use it, that means less spread of the virus overall,” Cohen said.
The agency said the new guidelines are in line with what the CDC has recommended for the flu “for decades.”
“If people follow these action recommendations to avoid getting sick and protect themselves and others if they do, it will help limit the spread of respiratory viruses and mean fewer people will experience severe illness,” Dr. Demetrius Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Prevention and Respiratory Diseases, said in a statement. This includes taking advanced precautions to help protect.”
According to numbers released Friday, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations fell slightly in recent weeks. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is lower than the same period last year, while adults over 65 have the highest rates of hospitalization.
However, 17,310 people are hospitalized weekly for COVID-19 and 2.1% of deaths in hospitals can be attributed to COVID-19, according to the CDC.
ABC News' Mark Osborne contributed to this report.
