CDC Update Treats Unvaccinated and Unboosted the Same
On December 27, 2021, the CDC issued an Press Release that shortened the isolation and quarantine periods for the general population. Below is an summary of the update of the CDC’s recommendations:
COVID DIAGNOSIS - ASYMPTOMATIC
If an individual is diagnosed with COVID-19 and remains asymptomatic, the CDC recommends the following:
Individual isolates for 5 days.
After the isolation, the individual wears a mask when around others.
EXPOSURE TO COVID- ASYMPTOMATIC
If an individual has a Close Contact with an Infected Person, the following applies:
Unvaccinated People who have been exposed must: (1) quarantine for 5 days, and then (2) wear a mask at all times for an additional 5 days. If this quarantine is not feasible, then the exposed person should wear a “well-fitting mask” at all times.
Individuals who are NOT Boosted must follow the same quarantine as unvaccinated individuals.
Individuals who are Boosted do not have to quarantine following a close contact. However, they should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
The CDC further recommends that everyone exposed should obtain a COVId-19 test 5 days after the exposure.
THIS IS INTERESTING…As explained above, Unvaccinated individuals and individuals who did not receive a booster are held to the same quarantine standards. The CDC effectively made the definition of Fully-Vaccinated to mean “Boosted.”
IF SYMPTOMS OCCUR…
The CDC threw in another update indicating that should symptoms occur, “individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.”
The CDC has not yet updated its specific Guidance on Quarantine and Isolation. That Guidance explains that individuals who thing they had COVID or who have symptoms can be around others after:
10 days since the symptoms first appeared, and
24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, and
Other symptoms are improving.
This Press Release hints that a negative COVID-19 test will be sufficient to end quarantine even if the individual remains symptomatic. Until the CDC updates the specific guidance, we recommend employers continue to implement the above quarantine standard.