CDC Updates COVID-19 Guidance to Emphasize Personal Health Decision-Making

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has streamlined its COVID-19 guidelines to reflect increasing confidence in the levels of population immunity and the preparedness of the US health apparatus as signs that the acute phase of pandemic is abating. 

As Greta Massetti, PhD, MPH, CDC Branch Chief of Field Epidemiology and Prevention Branch, stated in a news release last week, “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.”

The agency reiterated that getting a vaccine and staying updated with boosters are the key elements that will keep COVID-19 under control in the US population. However, the updated guidelines suggest that regardless of vaccination status, there is no need for quarantine when exposed to COVID-19.  Instead, the CDC says you should wear a high-quality mask, get tested on day 5, and then follow standard isolation protocol if it is positive. 

These guidelines represent a significant change from the CDC’s previous stance on the importance of social/physical distancing, which is now less emphasized. Most notably, the distancing and testing protocols for schools have been diminished; the CDC no longer recommends that schools test students who do not show active COVID-19 infection symptoms. In schools and other settings, the CDC recommends that individuals “at high risk for severe illness can consider avoiding crowded areas and minimizing direct physical contact,” which suggests the onus of responsibility for managing COVID is shifting to individuals, rather than governmental decisions.                  

Read a summary of the new guidelines, or read a detailed discussion in the August 11 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.