CDC

Protection provided by the current vaccine against symptomatic infection and transmission is less than that against severe disease and diminishes over time, ...

If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance. - Clarifying that after you have ended isolation, if your COVID-19 symptoms worsen, restart your isolation at day 0. - Emphasizing that physical distance is just one component of how to protect yourself and others. - Recommending that if you test positive for COVID-19, you stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. - Continuing to promote the importance of beingup to date with vaccinationto protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. COVID-19 continues to circulate globally, however, with so many tools available to us for reducing COVID-19 severity, there is significantly less risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death compared to earlier in the pandemic.

The new guidelines eliminate quarantines and put less emphasis on social distancing, routine surveillance testing and contact tracing.

Among adults 65 and older, who are at highest risk of severe disease, 65 percent have received a booster. Many health experts praised the new guidelines as representing a pragmatic approach to living with the virus in the longer term. The new guidelines are geared toward protecting people from severe illness, Dr. Massetti added. Just 30 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds and 60 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds have received their primary vaccine series nationwide. Routine surveillance testing of people without symptoms is no longer recommended in most settings. The changes signal a new phase of the pandemic, officials and experts said.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the nation should move away from restrictive measures such as quarantines and social distancing and ...

The agency also stresses the use of antiviral medications in people who catch Covid-19 and are at higher risk for severe outcomes. Instead, let's ensure these tools are available and accessible: vaccines, testing and masks (and no stigma for those who mask)," Weingarten wrote in an email to CNN. High-risk people should also wear quality masks when the community level is medium, as it now is in 39% of counties. It's especially helpful for people who can't mount an immune response, and experts say it has been underutilized in this country. This group includes people who are older or unvaccinated or those who have certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk. "I think that this is a point where you actually have to sort of get real and start giving people tools they can use to do something or not. Chin-Hong thinks some states, like California, will continue to go beyond the CDC's guidance in their own recommendations, but by and large, he thinks these reflect the prevailing attitudes toward the pandemic. They aim to help people live their lives around Covid-19 with minimal disruptions to work and school. It also says people who test positive should stay home for at least five days and wear a mask around others for 10 days. People with compromised immune systems should now talk to their doctor about ending their isolation after an infection. It encourages testing for people with symptoms and their close contacts. Nearly the entire US population has at least some immunity through vaccination, previous infection or, in some cases, both.

The agency has lifted guidance that led to quarantining of students exposed to, but not infected with, the coronavirus.

“We know that Covid-19 is here to stay,” said Greta Massetti, author of the CDC report that outlines the new guidelines, during a Thursday briefing. The new guidance also drops recommendations that schools limit students’ contacts by cohorting them in groups during the day. Exposed students, as well as unvaccinated people who come into contact with someone with Covid-19, should take a test after five days and wear a mask for 10 days.

The guidelines for what to do if you test positive for COVID or were exposed to someone who has are shifting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...

With Chicago Public Schools' back-to-school start date just over a week away, summer break for students and teachers is coming to a close. Kankakee County has continued its recent declines in COVID metrics, falling to a “low” community level of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued changes to its guidelines for COVID isolation and quarantine, changing the recommendations for unvaccinated individuals who were exposed to the virus and offering new advice on how to end isolation and what to do if symptoms return. After more than a week of waiting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally unveiled its new guidelines for isolation, quarantine and social distancing, but one of the biggest changes involves those who experience more severe symptoms of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled a series of new COVID guidelines on Thursday afternoon, marking the organization’s continued efforts to loosen restrictions as new treatments and vaccine formulations continue to be released. After more than a week of waiting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally unveiled its new guidelines for isolation, quarantine and social distancing, but one of the biggest changes involves those who experience more severe symptoms of the virus.

Over the past few days, the CDC has made changes to its Covid guidance. The agency softened several of its recommendations, including for students.

Likewise if you are experiencing shortness of breath due to the virus, you're recommended to isolate for 10 days. - If you've tested positive and have a healthy immune system, regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate for five days. Instead, it's recommended that you mask for 10 days and get tested on Day Five.

Health measures will probably look different depending on the school district, but here are some things to know about best practices recommended by the CDC. Universal indoor masking is recommended in nearly half the country. The CDC calls on students and ...

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