CDC reduces isolation time for asymptomatic coronavirus infections

Dr. Anthony Fauci and Rochelle Walensky
(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday cut the recommended isolation time for asymptomatic Americans infected with the coronavirus from 10 days to five, The Washington Post reports.

The decision was based on research showing that those first five days are when people are the most infectious, the CDC said. The agency also reduced the recommended quarantine time for people who are vaccinated but not boosted to five days after any coronavirus exposure. They also should wear masks for five days after their isolation is over. People who have received booster shots should wear masks for 10 days but don't need to isolate.

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"These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives" even as the Omicron variant spreads, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.