The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new quarantine guidelines for people who were exposed to coronavirus, reducing the length of time from 14 days to 10 days without symptoms or seven days with no symptoms and a negative test. Officials said the shorter time period is intended to encourage more people to quarantine.
"Reducing the length of quarantine may encourage more people to do so, especially when they may not be able to work during quarantine time," CDC's COVID-19 Incident Manager, Dr. Henry Walke, told reporters on a call Wednesday. He said the agency still recommends 14 days, but is now offering two "acceptable alternative quarantine periods."
"As we learn more about the virus, we continue to refine our guidance," Walke said, emphasizing that everyone should quarantine if they are exposed — or are concerned about exposure — to the coronavirus. He added that people should continue to monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days after exposure — even if they end quarantine sooner.
According to Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer for the CDC, when quarantine is reduced to 10 days, the "residual risk" of someone exposing someone else after leaving quarantine is only about 1%.
"The recommendation made today is from extensive modeling not just by the CDC but by other scientific institutes," Brooks said. "All of these point to the same thing — that a person leaving quarantine early could expose someone else. When reduced to 10 days, the residual risk is 1%, upper limit of that risk is 12%. Seven days is 5%, and upper limit is 10%."Â
(CBS News)Â
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